Department for Transport

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Government plans to conclude its consultation on changes to the fixed penalty notice and penalty points for the use of a hand-held mobile telephone whilst driving.

Andrew Jones: The public consultation closes on 15 March 2016.

Trans-European Networks

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on infrastructure projects currently in receipt of TEN-T funding of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government supports the TEN-T programme and its successor (from 2014) the Connecting Europe facility (CEF), as a means of providing funding for transport infrastructure projects on the TEN-T network. It is unclear what would happen with funding to EU programmes, particularly if the UK were to leave the EU in the middle of the EU budget cycle (2014-2020). At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

M6: Accidents

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to assist the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to establish which lessons Highways England, West Midlands Police and the relevant local highways authorities can learn following the incident on the M6 motorway between junctions five and six on 4 February 2016 and the resulting delays in reopening the motorway.

Andrew Jones: A public hearing is to be held on 18 March which representatives from Highways England will be attending to present their views on the multi-agency response to the M6 incident that occurred on 4 February. In addition, Highways England representatives will be meeting with me on the 22 March to consider a more streamlined approach by agencies when responding to similar incidents in the future.

M6: Accidents

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure participation of representatives from Highways England with any public scrutiny held into the incident on the M6 motorway between junctions five and six on 4 February 2016 by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

Andrew Jones: A public hearing is to be held on 18 March which representatives from Highways England will be attending to present their views on the multi-agency response to the M6 incident that occurred on 4 February. In addition, Highways England representatives will be meeting with me on the 22 March to consider a more streamlined approach by agencies when responding to similar incidents in the future.

Aviation: Egypt

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what advice his Department has issued to travel companies in relation to the provision of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh; and when he expects those flights to resume.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Transport remains in close contact with airlines that were operating flights from the UK to Sharm el-Sheikh. The Government continues to work towards a resumption of direct flights as soon as possible.

Department for Transport: Sick Leave

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The available levels of sickness absence relating to stress is presented below for the central department and each agency for each of the last five financial years: Department for Transport GroupYearNumber of officials taking stress leave% staff taking stress leaveStress  sick daysTotal  Sick days% Stress Days of  Total Sick Days2011/124012.12%12063.93111402.710.83%2012/133932.08%11934.16101778.311.73%2013/143441.83%10816.4495113.311.37%2014/154252.28%14473.77105805.113.68%2015/ Feb 2016 *4102.70%1511810823013.97% Note to data table: *The current financial year uses sickness absence reported until end of February but to calculate % of total workforce uses the rolling FTE figures from December’s Cabinet Office returns. This is due to not having a quarter 4 rolling FTE or sickness absence, as the financial year has not yet finished.  The Civil Service takes a holistic approach to managing sick absence and improving wellbeing. In the Department for Transport, we have focussed on specific actions to tackle the cause and to reduce the incidence of stress related absence. This includes: Promoting the Employee Assistance Programme and other existing services to ensure staff are making the best use;Providing line managers with guidance and training on how to recognise signs of stress and mental health;Launching a ‘Mental Health Buddy’ network in the central Department;Signing of a “Time to Change” Pledge which aims to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness; andIntroducing a Reasonable Adjustments Passport scheme to support colleagues with disabilities to more easily move between jobs, taking their adjustments with them.

M62

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) start date and (b) cost is of the road schemes at M62 junctions 20 to 25 announced in the Autumn Statement 2014.

Andrew Jones: The Road Investment Strategy stated that work will start late in Roads Period 1, and the Highways England Delivery Plan states that the scheme will be in construction by March 2020. The expected cost is £100-250m.

Roads: North of England

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the start date is of road schemes for the Trans-Pennine area as part of the Road Investment Strategy set out in the Autumn Statement 2014.

Andrew Jones: The schemes identified in the 2015 – 2020 Road Investment Strategy being developed for delivery by Highways England and collectively now referred to as the Trans-Pennine Upgrade Programme are:Mottram Moor link roadA57(T) to A57 link roadA61 duallingA628 climbing lanesSafety and technology improvements A full public consultation will be held in spring 2017 prior to submitting an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) in autumn 2018. Subject to a successful DCO application it is expected that construction will commence in March 2020 and be open for traffic in Spring 2023. However, ways to advance those dates will be explored through the design and delivery process.

Cycling

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Cycle to Work scheme on (a) levels of participation in cycling and (b) the bicycle industry.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Cycle to Work Scheme is administered by the Cycle to Work Alliance. The Alliance has published a number of research reports, based on extensive surveys of users that have focused on the sustainable transport and public health contribution of the scheme. The reports are available on their website as follows: www.cycletoworkalliance.org.uk

Railways: Floods

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he took and when to address the flooding that disrupted rail services between Rugby and Milton Keynes on Wednesday 9 March 2016.

Claire Perry: This was an operational matter for Network Rail and the train operators, who did what they could to keep services moving so far as was safely practicable in the difficult conditions. Given the reduced line capacity available, it was necessary for the train operators to substantially thin out the level of service; the resulting serious disruption to passengers on the route is regretted.

Railways: Floods

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times there has been disruption to rail services arising from flooding between Rugby and Milton Keynes in each of the last five years.

Claire Perry: This information is not held by the Department as it is an operational matter for Network Rail.

Cycling

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Highways England plans to publish its cycling design standards.

Andrew Jones: Highways England is currently updating the relevant sections of their Design Standards so that the needs of cyclists are accommodated in all future improvement schemes. They will publish an Interim Advice Note (IAN) on designing for cycle traffic by autumn 2016.

Roads: North of England

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the most recent cost estimate is for each of the road projects listed in the Government's announcement, Major roads investment in the North East and Yorkshire, published on 1 December 2014, that have not yet been completed; and what the final costs were of those projects that have been completed.

Andrew Jones: For schemes that are Open for Traffic, the actual out-turn costs have been provided. Schemes that are in development or construction show the latest approved estimate. Scheme NameAnnouncedEstimated Cost (£m)Source of EstimateM1 junctions 28 to 312010205.8Under constructionA453 widening2011170.0Scheme completeM6 junctions 10a to 13201198.3Scheme completeA14 Kettering bypass widening201137.6Scheme completeM1 junction 19 improvement2011190.7Under constructionA45-A46 Tollbar End2011106.3Under constructionA38 Derby junctions2013180 to 282In developmentM5 junctions 4A to 62013106.4Under constructionM54 to M6 and M6 toll link road2013237 to 344In developmentM6 J5 to J8 smart motorway2010 - completed110.7Scheme complete For the remaining schemes outlined in the 1 December 2014 announcement, the current costs are the cost category as quoted in the RIS Investment Plan, which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/381496/roads-investment-strategy-summary-of-schemes.pdf There is currently no cost information for the Strategic Studies as they are in the very early stages of investigating options.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: Ports

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions a UK port was not manned by Border Force officials in 2015; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 04 March 2016



There was 1 instance where a port with scheduled arrivals was unmanned by Border Force in 2015. In July 2015, Border Force Officers failed to meet a regular charter plane in Cambridge due to a road traffic accident preventing access to the airport. Checks on passengers were completed on the arrival of Border Force Officers.In exercising their functions, Border Force officers are mandated to carry out full checks on all individuals entering the UK. Border Force has an established intelligence led approach and risk assessments regarding non-scheduled arrivals. This allows Border Force to provide effective border controls throughout the UK.

Slavery

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) age and (b) gender was of each potential victim recorded on the NSPCC-run modern slavery helpline between July 2014 and July 2015; how many such cases were referred to the police and for what reasons; and how many such callers agreed to a reference to the National Referral Mechanism.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) slaves, (b) victims and (c) potential victims have been found through the NSPCC helpine on modern slavery; and if she will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Government no longer funds the NSPCC helpline on modern slavery; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: Between 31 July 2014 and 31 July 2015, 849 contacts were made to the NSPCC-run modern slavery helpline including 57 contacts made by potential victims themselves. 403 referrals were made to the police during the same period. Many calls to the helpline are made by concerned members of the public rather than victims themselves and so the number of potential victims is based on the information provided by a third party. The helpline refers information to the police or social services if the operator believes someone to be in danger or at risk of modern slavery.From the 849 contacts the NSPCC was notified of a potential 1,163 victims. Of those potential victims, 340 were reported as female, 530 were male and 293 were recorded as both or unknown. The table below shows the breakdown of those potential victims by age group. Age groupTotal0-178318-2515226-3511436-454646-501751-603761-7010Unknown704Grand Total1163The Home Office does not maintain a record of how many potential victims were subsequently found or referred to the NRM as a result of these contacts. However, all potential adult victims who contact the helpline are signposted to The Salvation Army for support and referral into the National Referral Mechanism, if they consent. Potential child victims are referred to the NSPCC’s Child Trafficking Advice Centre for further action.No funding has been allocated for the NSPCC helpline for the financial year 2016-17. Polaris, a US-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), is establishing an enhanced UK helpline in collaboration with a UK-based NGO, which will supersede the current NSPCC helpline. The NSPCC helpline will remain in operation until the enhanced helpline is up and running. Start up funding of up to £1 million has been provided by Google.org. The new helpline is expected to be in operation later this year.

Refugees

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on UK membership of the UN 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 07 March 2016



The UK has a proud record of providing protection to those who need it and will continue to do so, in accordance with our obligations as a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol.As the Home Secretary said in her speech to the Conservative Party conference, in the longer term we want to work with other countries in the EU and the UN to look at the international definitions of asylum and refugee status.

Asylum: Housing

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library copies of any letters her Department has sent since 1 June 2015 to chief executives or leaders of local authorities in the UK in respect of the power to request assistance under section 100 (1) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; and whether powers under that section have been used.

James Brokenshire: The Department has not made any request to chief executives or leaders of local authorities in the UK for assistance under section 100 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The powers under that section have not been used to date.However, over the past 12 months, the department has written to local authority leaders and chief executives in the North West, North East, Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and Scotland to seek further cooperation and voluntary participation in widening asylum seeker dispersal arrangement.We will be writing to chief executives in Wales, the South East, South West and East of England to seek their cooperation.

Asylum

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average frequency of mandatory reporting is for people on temporary admission who travel from Oxfordshire to London to report at Eaton House, Hounslow.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people on temporary admission who travel for mandatory reporting from Oxfordshire to London have their transport costs paid from the public purse.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to public funds was of transport to London for people on temporary admission in Oxfordshire for mandatory reporting in each of the last four quarters.

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on temporary admission living in Oxfordshire are required to report at Eaton House, Hounslow.

James Brokenshire: Immigration Enforcement retains a record of tickets that are issued to people on temporary admission for the purpose of travel to report at an Immigration Reporting Centre.Immigration Enforcement does not keep a record of the area from which those individuals have travelled. We are required to provide a travel ticket if the subject resides more than 3 miles away from the reporting centre and is in receipt of Asylum Support. We do not routinely provide travel tickets for anyone else who reports unless they reside over 25 miles away and there is an exceptional reason to do so. Each case is assessed and considered on its own merit.

Visas: Ministers of Religion

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visas have been granted by each licensed sponsor in each of the last five years.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which licensed sponsors are eligible to sponsor a Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa.

James Brokenshire: I will arrange for the list of current Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) licensed sponsors and the number of certificates of sponsorship they have assigned to migrants for each of the last five years to be placed in the House Library. This includes certificates assigned to migrants who are within the UK as well as overseas.Each of the sponsors listed have had to provide mandatory documentation to demonstrate that they are bona fide religious organisations, trading lawfully within the UK. This information is assessed and used to validate an application prior to the issuance of a sponsor licence. Visits may also be conducted at the premises of prospective sponsors, to ensure that an organisation is eligible, suitable and genuine. Those who fail to meet UKVI’s requirements will have their application refused.In cases where an application has already been granted, UKVI continues to monitor their compliance against the published guidance. Those sponsors who fail to adhere to their duties will have action taken again them; this includes but is not limited to the revocation of their licence.

Asylum: Families

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for refugee family reunion from each country of nationality of such applicants were (a) submitted, (b) decided and (c) granted in 2015.

James Brokenshire: The published statistics relate to the ‘Family: other’ category, the vast majority of which are for family reunion. Data for applications, decisions, of which grants and refusals, withdrawns/lapsed, and grants by nationality, is given in the attached tables.The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, October-December 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics



Published statistics 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 11.9 KB)

Home Office: Atos Origin

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the remit and nature is of the contracts Atos holds with the Home Office.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total value is of the contracts Atos holds with the Home Office.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts Atos holds with the Home Office.

Karen Bradley: The Home Office holds three contracts with Atos.The first is “IND Procurement of Infrastructure Development and Support” (IPIDS), which provides application management supporting and hosting for major immigration IT systems. This contract expired on 31st January 2016, and a six-month transition period was invoked to provide support for a smaller subset of applications not covered by the replacement programme.The whole life cost of IPIDS was circa £220 million (exclusive of any additional project charges) until 31st January 2016. The maximum cost of the six-month transition period will be £642,000 (excluding VAT).The Department’s second contract with Atos is “Contain,” which is a direct replacement for IPIDS. The programme provides continuity for seven major Immigration IT systems, whilst work continues on the Immigration Platform Technology (IPT) platform. The Contain contract allows legacy immigration applications to be phased out whilst service continuity is preserved, and enables new applications delivered by the IPT programme to be brought in without disruption. The contract will run for a maximum of two years, and the total contract value is £18.1 million (excl VAT), which includes run and decommission costs.The third contract with Atos Worldline is a small G-Cloud Call-Off Agreement to enable passport application payments to be made online; the total contract value is £183,000.

Visas: Students

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of visa arrangements for international students on the number of those students coming to study in the UK.

James Brokenshire: The student migration system we inherited was too weak, and open to wide-spread abuse, damaging the UK’s reputation as a provider of world-class education. The National Audit Office reported that in 2009/10 up to 50,000 students may have come to work, not study.We have clamped down on immigration abuse from poor quality institutions selling immigration rather than education, and since 2010 we have struck off more than 920 bogus colleges. Visa applications for the further education sector, where abuse has been most prevalent over recent years, are down 75 per cent compared with 2010.At the same time, we have maintained a highly competitive offer for international students who would like to study at our world-class institutions. This is borne out by the figures: visa applications from international students to study at British universities are up by 16 per cent since 2010, whilst visa applications to our world-leading Russell Group institutions are up by 39 per cent since 2010.We will continue to reform the student visa system to tackle abuse and deliver an effective immigration system that works in the national interest.

Asylum: EU Law

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been transferred from the UK to other EU countries under Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Dublin III Regulation (a) in total and (b) for the purposes of family reunification in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: Records indicate that in 2015 there were no transfers from the UK to other EU countries under articles 9, 10 or 11 or for the purposes of family re-unification.

Refugee Camps: France

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government is making available to the French authorities to ensure that people living in refugee camps in Northern France have access to adequate healthcare provision.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of people resident in refugee camps in Northern France, (b) the proportion of such people who are unaccompanied children and (c) how many extra reception places for asylum applicants have been created by the French authorities.

James Brokenshire: The management of the migrant camps in Calais, including healthcare provision is the responsibility of the French Government.The French Government has recently stated that there are approximately 3,700 migrants living in the Calais camp and 1,050 in Dunkirk. The UK Government does not routinely assess the numbers of migrants in northern France or hold a breakdown of the ages of migrants.The UK has funded a project aimed at identifying and protecting vulnerable people in the Calais migrant camp. The project is being delivered by the French NGO Terre D’Asile.In addition, France has opened 102 reflection centres away from Calais and Dunkirk to help migrants with their asylum options and the UK is contributing towards the funding of this programme.

Naturalisation

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for a decision on a naturalisation application in (a) the UK and (b) Leeds.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The average length of time taken to consider naturalisation applications in the UK is 135.12 days. In Leeds postal code area the average length of time is 167 days. Both of these figures relate to the period 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2015, which is the most recent period for which statistics on the number of applications considered have been published.For straightforward applications where the customer has met all their obligations, the service standard is that 98.5% of cases will be processed within 6 months (183 calendar days).

Passports

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in which local authority areas applications can be made for naturalisation and a British passport at the same time.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



Customers are able to book appointments in the following local authority areas:Brent, Barnet, Southwark, Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Hackney, Wandsworth, Enfield, Hertfordshire, Islington, Camden, Bracknell Forest, Leeds, Slough, Merton, Sutton, Poole, Luton, East Riding of Yorkshire, Tower Hamlets, Hammersmith & Fulham, Cambridgeshire, West Sussex, Oldham, Wolverhampton, Trafford, West Berks, Reading, Dudley, Hull, Norfolk, Worcestershire, Redbridge, Westminster, Bolton, Wokingham, Southampton, Warwickshire, Windsor & Maidenhead, York and Pembrokeshire.This service will be further rolled out within additional local authority areas over the coming months.

Asylum: EU Law

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Dublin III Regulation asylum process; what her proposals are for its reform and improvement; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The Dublin Regulation is an important tool in our ability to manage asylum claims in the EU. The Government recognises that improvements can be made to the operation of the Regulation through simplification, greater flexibility and encouragement of maximum compliance. The underlying principles, however, such as claiming asylum in the first safe country, reuniting families where possible, prevention of secondary movement and assigning responsibility of a claim as soon as possible all remain sound.We are cooperating fully with the European Commission’s review of the Dublin Regulation and will continue to make the case these long established principles should continue to be the basis for any future regulation.

Crimes of Violence: Wales

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of violence against women were recorded in (a) Cardiff and (b) Vale of Glamorgan in each of the last 24 months.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The data requested is not available. The Home Office collects aggregate data against a range of crime types from all police forces but these do not identify the gender of the victim.We are developing the Home Office Data Hub to gather more detailed crime level data from forces, including the potential to collect the gender of victims and present statistics on it in the future. Forces are gradually migrating to supplying their main crime data to the new system.The recent Office for National Statistics publication "Focus on Violence and Sexual Offences":https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/compendium/focusonviolentcrimeandsexualoffences/yearendingmarch2015highlights partial and experimental statistics on proportions of victims by gender based on a subset of forces.

Refugees: Visas

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees have (a) applied for and (b) been successful in obtaining a visa to enter the UK from the Republic of Ireland in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The Home Office does not hold this information in the format requested. To obtain it would incur a disproportionate cost.

Passports: Republic of Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications from residents of the Republic of Ireland were processed through the Belfast Passport Office between 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2015.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The table below shows the total number of passport applications processed through the Belfast Passport Office from residents of the Republic of Ireland between 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2015. Please see the below table.MonthPassport Applications ProcessedApr-14600May-14837Jun-14603Jul-14704Aug-141,335Sep-141,117Oct-14557Nov-14549Dec-14492Jan-15830Feb-15956Mar-151,027Total9,607 The table above details the number of applications processed by Belfast Office that had come from a Republic of Ireland Country of residence for the period April 2014 to March 2015.

Deportation: Vietnam

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many removals of former, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children to Vietnam in the last three years were for offences relating to (a) drugs, (b) prostitution and (c) people trafficking.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many former, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who were removed to Vietnam in the last three years were also classified as foreign national prisoners.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 11 March 2016



The Home Office does not disclose country specific information regarding deportation of foreign national offenders as its disclosure could prejudice relations between the UK and foreign governments.

Animal Experiments

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on reducing the number of genetically modified animals bred for experiments but killed as surplus to requirements.

Karen Bradley: Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), the breeding of genetically altered (GA) animals is generally classed as a scientific procedure given that it must be assumed that the genetic alteration may cause suffering until proven otherwise. Given the significant contribution GA animals make to modern scientific progress, the breeding of such animals has increased significantly over the last 20 years. In 2014, 1.94 million GA animals were bred which accounted for around half of all scientific procedures on living animals.The breeding of GA animals is complex in which significant numbers of animals need to be bred in order that those with the desired genetic alteration can be selected. The biological inevitability therefore is that surplus animals, for example those without the desired genetic alteration, will be bred and not further used. Nevertheless, under ASPA, the Home Office is committed to ensuring that no animals should be bred unnecessarily and therefore we are taking steps to ensure that GA breeding colonies are managed as efficiently as possible.ASPA requires licensees to apply the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) at all times, including in the context of the production and use of GA animals. The framework was created in consultation with GA breeding experts as well as animal welfare and animal protection groups. It provides background information, lines of enquiry and examples of acceptable findings, as well as the underlying performance standards and potential performance outcomes that establishments may wish to measure in order to benchmark their progress.The framework is currently being rolled out in a number of establishments and we aim to publish it on our website over the coming months. This approach places the UK as a leader in managing the complex breeding and use of GA animals and we are aware of other countries which are keen to adopt our model once published.

Asylum: Children

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many take charge requests under the Dublin III Regulation she has received in relation to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in France with either parents or alleged parents in the UK in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum: Children

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to improve the speed and effectiveness of asylum processes for reuniting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in France with either parents or alleged parents in the UK.

James Brokenshire: The UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015 committed the UK to providing £3.6 million (or €5 million) per year for two years to help support a range of work to address the migrant situation in Calais. This includes increasing the frequency of communications campaigns involving British officials, French authorities and NGOs speaking to migrants in Calais to inform them of their rights to claim asylum in France and other matters such as family reunion.The Joint Declaration also committed the two governments to establishing a permanent official contact group focused on ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively, including the provisions on family unity. As a result a Home Office official has recently been seconded to the Interior Ministry’s Dublin Unit in Paris in part to assist with the identification of potential requests for the UK to take charge of an asylum seeking child in France and to bring them into the Dublin Regulation procedure without delay.

Home Office: Sick Leave

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of officials in her Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Asylum

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from (a) Syria, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iraq, (d) Kosovo, (e) Albania, (f) Pakistan, (g) Eritrea, (h) Nigeria and (i) Iran have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted asylum in the UK in each of the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration Controls: Calais

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the total financial contribution made by the UK to improving security at the port of Calais in each of the last five years; if she will estimate the likely UK contribution to such security in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

China: Political Prisoners

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2015 to Question 6494, whether he has made any representations to the government of China on accusations of the harvesting of organs in that country; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of legislation to prevent UK nationals from going to China for transplants.

Mr Hugo Swire: As I said in my reply to Question 6494, I remain concerned by reports of organ harvesting. We continue to raise this issue, and the full range of our human rights concerns, with the Chinese authorities at the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue. The next round of the Dialogue is scheduled to be held in the UK in April.The Department of Health is making constant efforts to ensure that any British citizen requiring replacement organs is able to benefit from organ transplants in the UK. It is however very difficult to prevent UK citizens travelling to less well-regulated countries to seek an organ transplant, although physicians always advise patients against this. Although numbers are not known, it is thought that very few patients in the UK choose to do so.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts in the International Syria Support Group on reported Russian violations of the ceasefire in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has repeatedly made clear that Russia must abide by its commitments and use its unique position to pressure the regime to honour the terms of the Cessation of Hostilities. We judge that the majority of violations so far have been carried out by the regime.The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly to partners in the International Syria Support Group. He last discussed the Cessation of Hostilities with international partners in talks in Paris with French and German counterparts on 4 March. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), also spoke to President Putin on 4 March, along with Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande and Prime Minister Renzi. The objective was to give a clear, coordinated message on the importance of Russia and the Assad regime respecting the fragile truce, in order to provide space for productive peace talks.

Hungary: Immigration

Kelly Tolhurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Hungarian counterpart on the sale of Hungarian residency bonds through off-shore companies.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has had no discussions with the Hungarian government on this issue.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Iran on the blocking by Hezbollah of humanitarian access to civilian areas in Syria in the last six months.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Holding answer received on 14 March 2016



The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has discussed the situation in Syria, including the humanitarian crisis, with the Iranian government on numerous occasions, including during Foreign Minister Zarif and President Rouhani’s Chief of Staff’s bilateral visits to London. The UK and Iran are part of the International Syria Support Group’s Humanitarian and Ceasefire Taskforces, which aim to tackle the issue of humanitarian access across all besieged and hard to reach locations in Syria. We continue to urge all parties in Syria to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.

European Commission

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the European Council has made on the commitment in its conclusions of 27 June 2014 to consider the process for the appointment of the President of the European Commission for the future; and what assessment he has made of the role of Spitzenkandidaten in deciding the president of the Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of progress made in the Colombian peace process.

Mr Philip Hammond: The UK continues to monitor the situation in Colombia closely as part of our ongoing support towards the peace talks. Talks continue in Havana and both sides are working to meet the 23 March deadline. However, the priority is reaching a sustainable agreement, not the exact date. Our Embassy in Bogota reported that, on 9 March, President Santos spoke about progress made in the peace process. He emphasised that the importance was signing an acceptable agreement, stating “I am not going to sign a bad agreement just for the sake of meeting a deadline”. I congratulate both parties on the agreements reached thus far. I understand that two negotiating points are still under discussion: the implementation of the peace deal and end of conflict issues.

Honduras: Homicide

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Honduras on the death of Berta Cáceras.

Mr Philip Hammond: The UK is deeply concerned by the murder on 03 March 2016 of Honduran human rights and environmental activist Berta Cáceres. As one of the most prominent activists in Honduras, Berta Cáceres worked tirelessly over many years to promote the rights of indigenous communities. My Noble Friend, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Foreign and Commonwealth Minister of State for Human Rights, condemned the murder in the clearest terms on 04 March and also called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. These points and a wider call for a commitment to human rights and those who defend them, were set out in an EU statement which the UK has strongly supported. Since initial events, the EU delegation in Honduras has been in contact with the main stakeholders and will continue to follow up. The Honduran authorities are now taking forward an investigation into what happened. While it is too early to comment on its outcome, we welcome their swift action to initiate an investigation. Cáceres’ death – and the injuries sustained by Gustavo Castro Soto, a human rights defender who was also a victim in the attack – are clear evidence of the risks activists face in Honduras every day. We continue to call on the Honduran Government to take steps to improve the security situation, and we raise our human rights concerns with them regularly – as the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) did during a visit to the UK by a Honduran parliamentary delegation in September 2015. These issues are discussed with the Honduran authorities during frequent visits to the country by Carolyn Davidson, Our Ambassador to Honduras, resident in Guatemala, and we seek to improve the situation on the ground through a range of Embassy-sponsored projects, including with Oxfam and the Tribunal for Women Against Femicide. We also maintain a close dialogue with NGOs and others with an interest in Honduras, such as Peace Brigade International.

Germany: Refugees

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the statement of the Minister for Europe of 9 March 2016 that after 10 years only about 2.2 per cent of the refugees who arrived in Germany have been granted German citizenship, what source that figure is based on; how that figure was calculated; and what information his Department holds on comparative figures for other EU countries.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Legal Costs

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Attorney General, what the cost to the public purse of legal proceedings involving actions taken by the Government against (a) devolved administrations, (b) local government in England and (c) non-departmental public bodies has been in each of the last six years.

Robert Buckland: The Government Legal Department (GLD) conducts litigation for most government departments. GLD charges its government department clients for the litigation services it provides on an hourly fee basis. The Solicitor’s Office of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) conduct litigation for HMRC.(a) In the last 6 years there have been three cases where the Government has taken action against devolved administrations. The costs to the UK government in these cases was approximately £180,000.(b) Neither GLD nor HMRC have centralised records that enable identification of the cost of litigation taken against Local Authorities. Carrying out a manual review of the stock of thousands of cases, would exceed the cost limit.(c) Similarly, there is no central record which would enable the identification of cases against non – departmental public bodies.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Pay

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of employers withholding wages from employees; and what steps he is taking to prevent that practice.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not collate this information centrally, however, I refer my Hon. Friend to the additional information which was placed in the Libraries of the House in response to a question from the Hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury UIN 17042. Acas were notified of 12,791 Early Conciliation claims relating to the Wages Act from April to September 2015. Additionally, there were 9,494 Employment Tribunal claims relating to unauthorised deductions from wages in the most recent six months for which HMCTS data is available (April to September 2015, www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics). The Government publishes clear advice for employers and workers on deductions from pay which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/understanding-your-pay/deductions-from-your-pay. A worker’s pay cannot be reduced below the National Minimum Wage (NMW) except in very limited circumstances – even if the worker agrees to the deduction. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) enforces the NMW, and anyone concerned about underpayment of the NMW should call Acas’s confidential helpline on 0300 123 1100 or visit http://www.acas.org.uk/nmw. HMRC will respond to every complaint they receive.

Adult Education: Finance

Mr Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to his letter of 15 December 2015 setting out Skills Funding Agency priorities and funding for 2016-17, whether it is his policy that an area can only have its adult education budget devolved once it has fully implemented the recommendations of its area review.

Nick Boles: The Area Review process has been designed to bring about a more resilient and sustainable post-16 sector in the given locality, better able to exploit the opportunities made available through the recent SR and better placed to meet local skills needs. As such the completion of an area review, leading to an agreed plan for implementation, is an essential pre-cursor to the full devolution of the adult education budget.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars his Department has issued since August 2012; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular.

Joseph Johnson: My Department does not hold a central list of publications, consultations or circulars.All publications, consultations, press releases and statistics are published on the GOV.UK website and can be found listed there:Publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skillsConsultations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills&publication_filter_option=consultationsPress releases: https://www.gov.uk/government/announcements?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skillsStatistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-innovation-skills

Apprentices

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that a greater proportion of people who start apprenticeships see them through to completion.

Nick Boles: Provider payments are made on completion of an apprenticeship framework. The final 20% of the rate will be paid when the apprentice achieves their learning aim.We emphasise the benefits of completing an apprenticeship. At Level 2 and 3 these are very significant, standing at between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships[1]. Higher apprentices could earn £150,000 more on average over their lifetime compared to those with L3 vocational qualifications[2].We are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to ensure that they deliver the training employers and apprentices expect, making them more likely to complete.Apprentices develop transferable skills and English and maths to enable them to progress in their careers. Employer-led Trailblazers are designing apprenticeship standards at a range of levels to provide the skills that employers need.Ofsted is responsible for the overall process of inspecting and quality assuring training providers. The Institute for Apprenticeships will work closely with Ofsted, Ofqual and the Skills Funding Agency who have responsibility for quality assuring the delivery of many aspects of apprenticeships. [1] London Economics (2011) – ‘BIS Research Paper Number 53, Returns to Intermediate and Low Level Vocational Qualifications, September 2011’[2] Apprenticeships in England Oct 2013

UK Membership of EU

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the number of students applying to study at higher education institutions in (a) Glasgow, (b) Scotland and (c) the UK.

Joseph Johnson: At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Trade Agreements: North America

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 26772, whether (a) legal costs and (b) compensatory payments resulting from investor state dispute settlement claims relating to the acts of local authorities would be passed onto those local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: If the UK were to lose a claim brought under the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism of a trade and investment treaty which relates to an act of a local authority, the Government would typically be responsible for legal costs incurred and compensatory payments awarded by the ISDS tribunal. However, the UK has a good record of creating the right environment for investors and treating them fairly – we have over 90 such agreements in place with other countries and there has never been a successful ISDS claim brought against the UK.

Overseas Trade

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of his Department's 2015-16 budget is allocated to (a) creating and (b) accessing new markets for trade and growth.

Anna Soubry: Increasing trade and growth through exports, to all overseas markets, is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish both at home and overseas. A key part of this work is to identify export opportunities, many of which are based around the needs of new high-growth and emerging markets. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is at the heart of this work and the budget allocation for this activity will be set out in the UKTI Annual Report and Accounts 2015/16.

Business: EU Law

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of EU regulation on businesses.

Anna Soubry: The February 2016 EU Reform settlement, secured by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, sets out concrete steps to reduce the burden of EU regulation on business. These include regulatory simplification (including the withdrawal or repeal of legislation); a specific focus on reducing the burden on SMEs and micro-enterprises; and establishing burden reduction targets in the most onerous areas for business.We will now work with Member States to hold the EU institutions to account, overseeing the agreement and implementation of these measures.

Apprentices

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of recent trends in apprenticeship start-ups.

Nick Boles: There were 2.4 million apprenticeship starts over the previous parliament, and 499,900 apprenticeship starts in the 2014/15 academic year - an increase of 13.5 per cent on 2013/14.The number of under-19 apprenticeships starts in 2014/15 was 125,900, this was up 5.1 percent on 2013/14. There were 19,800 starts on Higher and Degree Apprenticeships in 2014/15, an increase of 115 per cent on 2013/14 (9,200 starts).We are taking action to support and encourage the growth of apprenticeships to meet our commitment to reaching 3 million starts by 2020.

Labour Market: Information

Lucy Frazer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether the data collected by the Government for use in the LMI for All programme includes the (a) school attended, (b) A-levels studied, (c) subject taken at university, (d) name of the university, (e) apprenticeship taken, where appropriate, (f) employment subject area, (g) salary earned and (h) name of employer for the individuals recorded; and what his policy is on continuing the provision of LMI for All.

Nick Boles: LMI for All does not contain information about individual people. It is an online open source data service which brings together public labour market information from organisations such as the Office for National Statistics and the Higher Education Statistics Agency.It has been agreed that LMI for All will transfer to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills later this year.

Labour Market: Information

Lucy Frazer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the collection and use of LMI for All data.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has consulted the Devolved Administrations and other users of labour market information on future research priorities. This identified the importance of LMI for All data, and it has been agreed that LMI for All will transfer to BIS later this year.The UK Commission for Employment and Skills tracks the use of the LMI for All service by such websites and applications. Current users of LMI for All include careers websites such as icould, SACU, RCU and Plotr. In addition, Active Informatics, and National Careers Service contractor Adviza are using LMI for All in their subscription based services offered to schools, colleges and universities. A number of government departments and agencies, including the Department for Work and Pensions, National Careers Service and Skills Development Scotland are also developing resources and tools that draw upon LMI for All. A report containing detailed case studies focusing on specific applications is currently under preparation and will be published this year.

Consumers: Protection

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure that non-approved, sub-standard or fake safety products are not sold or passed on to the consumer.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Sick Leave

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of (a) his Department's staff and (b) total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Government has spent on overnight accommodation for (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiation process; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon Member to my answer of 9 March to question UIN 29561 concerning travel costs incurred by Ministers and officials in relation to the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. My answer would also apply to cost of overnight accommodation.

Department for International Development

Islamic State: Yazidis

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support the Government is providing for Yazidi women who have been enslaved by Daesh; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne: To date, the UK has committed £79.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. This assistance is reaching hundreds of thousands of people across Iraq, including the most vulnerable groups, such as Yazidis. All UK-funded aid is distributed on the basis of need, regardless of race, religion and ethnicity. The UK is the largest donor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund which, amongst other projects, has funded specialist protection and rehabilitation for escapees of Daesh terror in Iraq.

Department for International Development: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of her Department's (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID has 88 Senior Civil Servants (SCS) of which 45 (51%) are based in London. DFID has 225 roles designated as having a policy element of which 139 (62%) are based in London.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what account her Department's bilateral and multilateral aid budgets take of the guidance from the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission on Defeating AIDS-Advancing Global Health published in June 2015.

Mr Nick Hurd: We welcome the report of the UNAIDS-Lancet Commission. Its focus on prevention, sexual and reproductive health and rights and tailoring the HIV response to the public health needs of each country are in line with long standing UK policy. We are currently undertaking a number of internal reviews to ensure we are in the right place to deliver our objectives and maximise our value for money and impact. Our future contributions to the Global Fund and country programmes are being considered as part of this. We will lay out further investment plans in the future.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department spent on bilateral HIV programmes and activities in financial years 2010-11 and 2014-15; what the estimated expenditure on HIV bilateral spending is in 2015-16; and what the planned bilateral expenditure on HIV is in 2016-17.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK remains the 2nd largest international donor on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. We provide support through a variety of bilateral channels including: projects and programmes at the country level; strengthening health systems in our partner countries to respond to the HIV epidemic; and funding research. We are also increasingly working through multilateral organisations such as the Global fund and UNITAID, given their greater reach and scale. We also work across a number of other areas, such as maternal and reproductive health, education and social protection which also has an impact on HIV outcomes. Details of DFID expenditure can be found in Statistics on International Development GPEX tables, available on the web at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics.

Department for Education

Education: Standards

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of using adjustable furniture in schools to improve the classroom learning environment.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not undertaken its own assessment of the potential benefits of using adjustable furniture in schools. The Department recognises the advantages and disadvantages of using adjustable height furniture detailed in research carried out by appropriate professionals and through working jointly with organisations such as the Furniture Industry Research Association. Our jointly produced website on ergonomics highlights the option of using adjustable chairs and tables for effective management of the classroom environment.

Schools: Admissions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England's Annual Report, published in December 2015, that there is a lack of transparency in the school admission system, what steps she plans to take to monitor and enforce compliance with the School Admissions Code.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the key findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England's Annual Report, published in December 2015, whether she plans to publish guidance for schools on how best to comply with the school admissions code.

Nick Gibb: Admission authorities for all state-funded schools are required to comply with the School Admissions Code. This includes a requirement that ‘parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated’. We consider that the code provides clear advice to all admission authorities.Compliance is enforced by the Schools Adjudicator. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the arrangements are unclear, unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the code, the admission authority is required by law to change the policy.The degree to which maintained schools comply with the code is monitored through the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. We consider the findings of the report and whether changes to the system are necessary.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will hold a consultation on changing the School Admissions Code to require religiously selective schools to prioritise all looked-after children and previously looked-after children in their admission arrangements in addition to such children of the same denomination of such schools.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendation in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England's Annual Report, published in December 2015, that her Department should clarify what is expected in guidance produced by relevant religious authorities for schools which give priority on the grounds of religion in their admission arrangements.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England's Annual Report, published in December 2015, that parents are often unable to understand the complicated admissions criteria employed by religiously selective schools.

Nick Gibb: Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious character, are required to comply with the School Admissions Code. This includes a requirement that ‘parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated’.We support the right of schools with a religious designation to prioritise children of their faith. The code requires such schools, as a minimum, to prioritise looked after and previously looked after children of their faith ahead of other children. We have no plans to change this requirement.The code can only be applied to bodies within the education sector. It cannot place requirements upon religious bodies. It does, however, require that when schools with a religious designation adopt admission criteria which prioritise children based on their faith, the schools must take account of religious activities as laid out by their religious authority.Compliance with the code is enforced by the Schools Adjudicator. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the arrangements are unclear, unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the code, the admission authority is required by law to change the policy.The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the code which will both respond to the findings within the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Reports and concerns raised by parents. That package will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the Chief Schools Adjudicator for England's 2015 Annual Report, published in December 2015, what assessment she has made of the effect of the level of the religious oversubscription criteria used by some schools on parents applying to such schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions Code. These changes will respond to concerns from parents and to the findings within the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Reports. These changes will include measures to improve fairness and transparency. Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious character, are required to comply with the Code. This includes a requirement that ‘the practices and the criteria used to decide the allocation of school places are fair, clear and objective’. The Code is clear that parents have a right to object to a school’s admission policy. Where an objection is made and the adjudicator finds that the admission arrangements are unclear, or unfair, or that they otherwise fail to comply with the Code, the admission authority is required by law to change them. The deadline for objections is set many months in advance of the closing date for school applications. This ensures that any admission arrangements which breach the Code can be amended to comply before parents apply for a place.

Teachers: Pensions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review eligibility arrangements for the teacher's Pension Scheme to enable supply teachers to participate in that scheme.

Nick Gibb: The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer. These are local authorities (LAs), academies and further education colleges. This includes supply teachers who are recruited by a supply agency but then employed directly, under a contract of employment, by the scheme employer. Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme. The Department does not plan to review these arrangements and considers that it is for employers and teachers to determine how supply teachers are employed, which can in turn enable access to the TPS under the current arrangements.

Teachers: Veterans

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2016 to Question 28795, on the troops to teachers scheme, what plans she has to expand the cohort beginning that scheme in September 2016.

Nick Gibb: Recruitment is currently underway for the September 2016 cohort of Troops to Teachers. The University of Brighton, who are contracted to run the programme, are actively promoting the Troops to Teachers scheme to ensure that the number of service personnel recruited to the cohort beginning in September 2016 is maximised. Their marketing and recruitment plans include specific service leaver employment fairs and a range of other marketing activities.

Primary Education: Standards

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue guidance to schools and teachers on not using terminology that describes as failures children who do not reach the national standard grade under reforms to Key Stage 1.

Nick Gibb: No child under any circumstance should be described as a ‘failure’ in relation to their achievements at the end of Key Stage 1 (KS1). We expect teachers not to use such vocabulary. The standards for reporting children’s achievements at the end of KS1 have been carefully developed to avoid any negative connotations or suggestions of failure.Children who are assessed as not ‘working at the expected standard’ at the end of KS1 should either be awarded the ‘working towards the expected standard’, or working at the ‘foundations for the expected standard’. Teachers of Key Stage 1 pupils are required to provide a report to parents before the end of the summer term, covering the pupil’s achievements, general progress and attendance record.

Secondary Education

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of cases in which year 10 pupils have enrolled on courses not yet accredited as subjects which have had all four exam board specifications rejected by Ofqual.

Nick Gibb: Current pupils in year 10, who are due to take their GCSE exams in summer 2017, are taking the new English and mathematics GCSE qualifications which were accredited in 2015 together with existing GCSE qualifications in all other subjects. A further 20 subjects at GCSE and 11 subjects at AS/A level are being accredited now for first teaching from September 2016. The accreditation of the new qualifications is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked Amanda Spielman, the Interim Chief Regulator, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

ICT: Primary Education

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all primary school children are IT literate by the end of Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb: The new computing curriculum, introduced in September 2014 and compulsory for ages 5-16, has a greater focus on how computers work including the basics of computer science as well as covering digital literacy and the application of information technology. In primary school, pupils will be looking at topics such as: creating and debugging programs; using technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content; and using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. Through studying these topics, pupils are gaining insight into how the digital technologies that they use every day actually work, allowing them to become active creators, not just passive consumers. The Government has spent more than £4.5 million over the past three years to support schools in delivering high quality computing teaching. This includes £3 million for Computing At School to build a national network of over 10 regional university centres and 300 ‘Master Teachers’ in Computer Science whom schools can commission to provide training for their teachers. A further £1 million was given to Computing At School to create online resources (Barefoot Computing) targeting primary school teachers specifically to help develop their computing subject knowledge, deliver in-school workshops, and set up computing self-help groups.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she intends to answer the letter dated 18 January 2016 from the Right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs M. Duran.

Nick Gibb: My Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, replied to the Rt Hon Member on 1 February 2016. I have arranged for a copy of the letter to be re-sent to his office.

Arts: Secondary Education

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote the study of creative subjects in secondary schools and (b) address the skills shortage in the UK creative industry sector.

Nick Gibb: All schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. The Government recognises that creative arts are an integral part of a child’s education. They develop skills that are important to our economy and help prepare children for adult life. The national curriculum sets out our expectations of what pupils should be taught and we have reformed GCSE and A level qualifications in a range of subjects, including art and design, music, drama, dance and design & technology. We have made significant changes in particular to design and technology, making this a better preparation for young people to progress into careers in a wide range of engineering and design fields. Our reforms to technical and vocational education incentivise schools and colleges to teach only those qualifications that meet rigorous quality criteria, develop the skills and knowledge that employers need and enable young people to progress into employment. For 16-18 year olds this includes qualifications in creative subjects that will equip them to apply for a range of jobs in the creative industries. In November, the Government announced further reforms to technical and professional education that will simplify the skills system and ensure it is understood and valued by employers. The Government will simplify and streamline the number of qualifications so that individuals have a clear set of routes which allow for progression into skilled employment. An independent panel, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, is developing proposals for these reforms and they will report to Government this spring‎. In December 2014, the Secretary of State announced funding for a new careers and enterprise company. This employer-led, independent company is strengthening links between employers, schools and colleges and careers and enterprise organisations to inspire young people, assisting them with taking control of their own futures and helping to address skills shortages. The provision of high-quality careers guidance for all young people is a key part of this Government’s commitment to delivering real social justice.

Teachers: Training

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has made available for training teachers to undertake the new key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests.

Nick Gibb: Schools are provided with general funding to teach the programmes of study, as set out in the national curriculum, to their pupils and to administer the statutory tests. Teaching the curriculum provides the best possible preparation for pupils to undertake the new key stage 1 and key stage 2 tests.

Teachers: Recruitment

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to increase teacher recruitment in schools.

Nick Gibb: Ensuring there are high quality teachers in all schools is crucial to achieving our ambition of educational excellence everywhere. That is why the Government is investing over £1.3 billion to 2020 to attract new teachers into the profession. Our investment includes tax-free training bursaries worth up to £30,000 for top graduates in priority subjects in addition to grants to support new teachers who want to earn a salary whilst they train. We are continuing to support the expansion of the prestigious Teach First scheme which is now Britain’s largest graduate employer, and places top graduates in schools in disadvantaged areas. We are also offering training and support to former teachers to help them return to the classroom and have launched the National Teaching Service, which will place up to 1,500 outstanding teachers and middle leaders into the schools who need them most. To ensure that schools can play a leading role in selecting and training the teachers that they need, we have significantly expanded school-based routes into teaching so that over 50 per cent of trainees are now training through school-led programmes. Teaching continues to be a hugely popular career for top graduates and career changers, and we now have more, better-qualified teachers in our classrooms than ever before.

Teachers: Re-employment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many qualified teachers returned to the teaching profession in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: The full-time equivalent number of qualified teachers returning to the state funded sector in each year from 2011 to 2014 is as follows:  2011201220132014Returners to publicly funded sector[1][2]11,71012,94013,99014,100  The data can be found in Table C1b of the additional tables in the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2014’, available at the following web link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2014 [1] Entrants with prior experience of teaching in the state funded sector.[2] Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Teachers: Pay

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average non-management teacher salary was in (a) North East England, (b) North West England, (c) Yorkshire and the Humber, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) the East of England, (g) Greater London, (h) South East England, (i) South West England, (j) Wales, (k) Scotland and (l) Northern Ireland in 2015.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the average salary of classroom teachers in service in state funded schools in each region in England, November 2014, the latest figures available. Classroom teachers exclude head teachers, deputy and assistant head teachers and advisory teachers. November 2015 figures will be published at the end of June. North East£34,500North West£34,100Yorkshire and The Humber£33,400East Midlands£33,800West Midlands£33,900East of England£33,700London£37,300South East£33,300South West£34,000England£34,300Source: School Workforce Census.Salaries are rounded to the nearest £100. Information for Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations. The average pay of teachers in Wales in not collected centrally.

Schools: Greater Manchester

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle underperformance in schools in Greater Manchester.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to educational excellence everywhere. The Education and Adoption Bill includes powers designed to help raise standards in Greater Manchester, ensuring that all failing maintained schools become academies with strong sponsors and coasting schools will be challenged to improve. The Regional Schools Commissioner has already prioritised Greater Manchester for the Northern Fund and brought a new, high-performing sponsor into the area. Where standards are unacceptably low in academies, she has held sponsors and academy trusts to account and has used the Secretary of State’s powers to issue Pre-Termination Warning Notices (PTWNs) to trusts that have failed to drive forward the necessary improvements at pace. The department publishes all PTWNs at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/letters-to-academies-about-poor-performance#termination-notices

Teachers: Training

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 903912, what estimate her Department has made of number of postgraduate trainee teachers recruited in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The data requested has been attached to this answer and can be found in Table 1b at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2015-to-2016 



30295_SFR46_postgraduate_ITT
(Excel SpreadSheet, 331.5 KB)

Languages: Primary Education

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to increase participation in modern foreign languages in primary schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to the teaching of foreign languages as part of a core academic curriculum. This is why a modern or ancient language is included within the English Baccalaureate performance measure. Since September 2014, maintained primary schools in England must teach a modern or ancient foreign language to pupils at Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11). Schools can choose which language or languages to teach and should enable pupils to make substantial progress in one language by the end of primary school. To support the introduction of a compulsory foreign language at Key Stage 2, the government funded nine projects across the country to provide training for primary teachers. These projects have trained hundreds of teachers and provided online resources for training thousands more teachers. The EBacc has had a positive effect on the take up of languages in schools, with a rise in the proportion of the cohort in state-funded schools entered for a modern foreign language from 40% in pupils in 2010 to 49% in 2015.

Schools: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of (a) divergences between schools' admission arrangements and (b) the effect of such divergence on parents' ability to navigate the admissions process.

Nick Gibb: The Schools Adjudicator reports annually to the Secretary of State on school admissions. Her most recent report, published on 17 December 2015, takes account of the impact school admission arrangements may have on parents’ ability to navigate the admissions process. We are giving careful consideration to the findings of this report in our current review of the School Admissions Code and will conduct a full public consultation in due course. The report can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/osa-annual-report

Schools: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27310, if she will extend the remit of regional school commissioners to include an active role in monitoring the compliance of schools' admission policies with the School Admissions Code.

Edward Timpson: It is the role of the Schools Adjudicator to determine whether school admission arrangements comply with the Schools Admissions Code.The Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible for approving new academies and intervening in underperforming academies and maintained schools in their area. The RSCs also have a limited role in agreeing admissions changes in open academies.The specific range of circumstances where an RSC would take decisions on admissions arrangements in open academies is as follows:Where the Trust of an academy, free school, University Technical College (UTC) or studio school has requested a variation of its admissions arrangements outside the normal timeframe for consulting on and determining admissions.Where, following a code-complaint consultation by the Trust, the academy requests a change to any admissions arrangements that are written into the funding agreement.Where an academy, free school, UTC or studio school has requested a post-opening ‘derogation’ from the requirement to comply with the code, but only where there is an existing policy precedent.

Faith schools: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27309, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring religiously selective schools to prioritise looked-after and previously looked-after children without reference to religion in the upcoming consultation on the School Admissions Code.

Nick Gibb: Admission authorities for schools with a religious character already have the discretion to prioritise all looked after and previously looked after children in their oversubscription criteria, regardless of their faith, and many schools do so. The Chief Schools Adjudicator reports annually to the Secretary of State on fair access. We are giving careful consideration to the findings of her report for 2014–2015 as part of our current review of the School Admissions Code. We will be conducting a full public consultation in due course.

Teachers: Training

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is giving to teachers to assist them with the new Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests.

Nick Gibb: The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) provides detailed statutory guidance for schools and teachers to follow in the administration of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests. The guidance on test administration is specifically in Section 6 of the Assessment Reporting Arrangements (ARAs) which can be found here:For Key Stage 1 - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2016-key-stage-1-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements-araFor Key Stage 2 - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2016-key-stage-2-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements-ara The STA published sample questions in summer 2014 in addition to complete sample tests in summer 2015 to give primary schools nearly a year of lead-in time to prepare for the new tests.A clarification document was published on 8 March 2016 to address any misunderstandings that there may have been with the guidance regarding statutory teacher assessment. This document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clarification-key-stage-1-and-2-teacher-assessment-and-moderation-guidance

Business: Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many enterprise advisers her Department has appointed to work with (a) schools and (b) further edcuation colleges in England.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what administrative resources her Department is providing for enterprise advisers.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support her Department plans to provide to support enterprise advisers in their work in schools and colleges in each of the next four years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is a key part of our strategy to transform the provision of careers, enterprise and employer engagement for young people to inspire them and prepare them for the world of work. We are funding the CEC to roll out and manage its Enterprise Adviser Network, which was launched in September 2015. Recruitment is ongoing and there are currently 58 Enterprise Coordinators working in 32 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), with 173 Enterprise Advisers working directly with schools and colleges to support their careers and enterprise provision. LEPs are prioritising schools and colleges using local knowledge and available data, including destinations data, level of employer engagement and apprenticeships take-up. The CEC is responsible for the administrative resources provided to the network. In January, my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister announced an investment of £70 million in our careers strategy over this Parliament and confirmed that there will be continued funding for the CEC to build on the excellent work it has begun, embedding and further extending its projects already underway, including the Enterprise Adviser Network. We have not yet finalised how much will be spent each year or how it will be allocated.

Armed Forces: Education

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of identified violations of the Schools Admissions Code since 2011 related to schools not properly prioritising the children of armed forces service personnel.

Nick Gibb: Since 2011, the Schools Adjudicator has not received any objections relating to the provisions in the Schools Admissions Code about the admission of children of UK service personnel.

Schools: Musical Instruments

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 28761, what assessment she has made of whether musical education hubs are playing their core role of ensuing that every child aged between 5-18 learns to play a musical instrument.

Nick Gibb: The role of music education hubs is to ensure that every child aged 5-18 has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument through whole-class ensemble teaching. In 2013/14, Arts Council England data showed that 596,820 pupils learned to play an instrument through whole class ensemble teaching. The full report can be found here: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/Music_Education_Hubs_2014_Report_final_March_2015.pdf.

Department for Education: Security Guards

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much security guards in her Department are paid.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much security guards in the Government Equalities Office are paid.

Nick Gibb: The rate of pay for security guards working in buildings managed by the Department for Education is between £7.85 and £13.50 depending on location, shift pattern, skillset and duration of tenure. The Government Equality Office is based within buildings managed by the Department for Education, and therefore the same rates apply. From 1 April 2016, the rates will be increased to reflect the 2016 Living Wage Foundation rates.

Social Workers: Training

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 29760, how many students from which universities were represented in the Frontline programme's 2014 and 2015 cohorts.

Edward Timpson: The universities attended by Frontline participants on the 2014 and 2015 cohorts are as follows: University (first degree)2014 cohort 2015 cohortCardiff University39Durham University58Falmouth University10Goldsmiths, University of London01Kings College London01Kingston University10Lancaster University11Leeds Metropolitan University20Liverpool Hope University01Liverpool John Moores University02London School of Economics53London School of Theology01Loughborough University11Manchester Metropolitan University11Middlesex University01Newcastle University12Northumbria University02Oxford Brookes University11Queen Mary, University of London11Roehampton University01Royal Holloway, University of London20School of Oriental and African Studies31Sheffield Hallam University10Swansea University01University College London33University of Bath01University of Birmingham55University of Bristol31University of Cambridge75University of Central Lancashire01University of East Anglia02University of Edinburgh42University of Essex02University of Exeter42University of Glasgow02University of Greenwich10University of Hull10University of Kent12University of Leeds44University of Leicester22University of Liverpool15University of Manchester77University of Nottingham53University of Oxford1513University of Sheffield16University of Southampton32University of St Andrews02University of Surrey01University of Sussex33University of Warwick24University of Westminster01University of York03Universita di Roma la Sapienza10University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill10University of Queensland01University of Victoria10

Mathematics: Teachers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers from China who will teach in Maths Hubs in England will be selected; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The government is committed to raising standards in mathematics to reflect the best practice in the world. The mathematics teacher exchange between England and China has been in place for two years to support this aim. The exchange is facilitated by our 35 Maths Hubs – school-led centres of excellence in the teaching of mathematics with a role to drive the transformation of mathematics teaching in England. Maths Hubs select teachers to take part in the exchange. Over the past 2 years, the hubs have arranged for 127 teachers from Shanghai to teach in English schools for 3 weeks, and 131 teachers from England to observe teaching practice in Shanghai. The exchange has proved to be an overwhelming success. The network of Maths Hubs is establishing effective mathematics teaching for ‘mastery’ approaches from south-east Asian countries including China and Singapore. Enhancing pupils’ attainment in mathematics by embedding mastery teaching will raise our standards to match those in the highest performing jurisdictions in the world and challenge pupils to realise their potential in an increasingly competitive global market. This work has been supported by the use of high quality adapted versions of Singapore textbooks both to aid pupils’ understanding and to support teachers’ planning and professional development and 140 Primary Mathematics Teaching for Mastery Experts who will complete their training next month.

Teachers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for which subjects there is the greatest need for additional teachers; and what steps she is taking to recruit such teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education uses the Teacher Supply Model (TSM) to estimate the national requirements for the primary phase and each individual secondary subject for the number of postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) places to meet future demand. The 2016/17 version of the TSM, which was used to inform the 2016/17 ITT recruitment process, along with a user guide explaining the methodology in detail, is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-supply-model. The need for additional teachers will not only be met by new entrants to teaching as they only account for about half of all entrants. We are encouraged that the number of former teachers coming back to the classroom has continued to rise year after year – in 2014 we welcomed back more than 14,100 teachers, up from 11,700 in 2011. We continue to offer a range of generous financial incentives – including training bursaries of up to £30,000 tax-free – to trainee teachers in the subjects where there is the greatest need. Between now and 2020, we will invest a total of £1.3 billion in attracting and training new teachers. Last year, the Prime Minister announced a package to improve teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, worth up to £67 million over five years. This will train an additional 2,500 maths and physics teachers, and will improve the skills of a further 15,000 teachers in those subjects. We are making it easier for schools to play a leading role in selecting and training new teachers, including through the School Direct route, which this year will train over 10,000 new teachers.

Department for Education: Sick Leave

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of officials in her Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is set out in the table below.Financial YearNumber of staff with absence due to stress in period% of all staff with absence due to stress (headcount as at end of period)Working days lost due to stress as a % of total WDL in period2014-20151113%16%2013-2014873%14%2012-2013912%12%2011-2012692%11%2010-2011653%16% We do not hold data on the causes of stress resulting in absence and it cannot be inferred that such stress is work related.

Social Workers: Training

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities were represented in each cohort of Set Up participants in each year since its establishment.

Edward Timpson: There were six universities represented in the first cohort of the Step Up programme, which began in 2010; there were seven in the second; ten in the third cohort; and twelve in the fourth cohort.

Ministry of Justice

Secure Training Centres: Advocacy

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the annual cost was of the advocacy contract at each secure training centre in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Andrew Selous: Table A: Annual cost (July to June) of providing advocacy services at each Secure Training Centre (STC) from July 2010 to June 2015.   YEAR   STCJul 2010 - Jun 2011Jul 2011 - Jun 2012Jul 2012 - Jun 2013Jul 2013 - Jun 2014Jul 2014 - Jun 2015 Medway STC£54k£53k£53k£34k£34k Oakhill STC£38k£45k£45k£33k£33k Rainsbrook STC£40k£46k£46k£35k£35k Hassockfield STC£63k£50k£50k£32k£20k Totals£195k£194k£194k£134k£122kNotes:- Costs in the table have been rounded to the nearest £ ‘000- Due to rounding, the sum of the costs for each individual STC may not match the overall total line in the table.- Due to the cost years running from July to June, the information for July 2015-June 2016 has not been included as this would only be a partial cost for the year. In July 2013 the Youth Justice Board (YJB) awarded a new advocacy contract across all secure training centres. Barnardos won both parts. The annual cost of the advocacy service at each secure training centre reduced as a result of them being able to make efficiency savings from back office functions. There was no reduction in service. The lower advocacy costs for Hassockfield STC between July 2014 and June 2015 are a result of the site being decommissioned in 2014. The advocacy service ceased on 21 November 2014.

Road Traffic Offences: Mobile Phones

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were prosecuted for using a mobile telephone while driving in each year since 2010; and how many such people were subject to the maximum fine.

Dominic Raab: The number of people proceeded against and the maximum fine issued for using or causing to use a mobile phone whilst driving can be viewed on the Ministry of Justice website at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014

Terrorism: Hyde Park

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will conduct an urgent review of the Legal Aid Agency's decision to refuse a request to fund a civil case into the Hyde Park bombing.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The Government’s sympathies are with the victims and friends and families of those who lost their lives and were injured in this terrible attack. Decisions on funding individual cases are taken independently by the Legal Aid Agency. The decision not to provide legal aid funding for this claim for damages was made as it does not meet the criteria set by Parliament. Ministers are prevented by law from intervening in the individual decisions of the Legal Aid Agency.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing prefabricated new accommodation for service personnel.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has assessed the merits of providing pre-fabricated or modular constructed Single Living Accommodation (SLA). The advantages include simplicity and consistency of design, quality of manufacture in a controlled environment, speed of on-site construction and certainty in manufacturing cost.The MOD has used modular construction extensively in respect of around 12,000 bed spaces in its Single Living Accommodation Modernisation (SLAM) Project. These have proved to be of good quality and durable.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel in each location are accommodated in twin rooms.

Mark Lancaster: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Intervention: Casualties

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian casualties have resulted from direct UK military action in each theatre of operation in each of the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: Defence records show there have been no civilian casualities as a result of UK military action in any operational theatre in the last 12 months.We take very seriously our responsibility to protect innocent civilian life when planning UK military operations. Our targeting procedures are rigorous, and we take every possible precaution to ensure that no civilian lives are lost when conducting strike missions.If we had any reason to believe - either from our own analysis or from other reports - that there might have been civilian casualties, a full investigation would be conducted.

Rescue Services: Mediterranean Sea

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilians rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Royal Navy in the last two years requested medical evacuation; and to what locations such people were transported for treatment.

Penny Mordaunt: No civilians rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Royal Navy in the last two years were medically evacuated. Where Royal Navy vessels rescued migrants, medical treatment was administered on board if required. All those rescued were disembarked at agreed ports of safety in Italy.

Hebrides Range: Spaceflight

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of adding a vertical take-off facility at the Hebrides Range to permit diversification into space ports.

Mr Philip Dunne: No such estimates have been made by the Ministry of Defence.

Department for Work and Pensions

Local Housing Allowance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2016 to Question 26467, what his policy is on the process by which local authorities should calculate the maximum local housing allowance for properties in their area.

Justin Tomlinson: Local Housing Allowance rates for each Broad Rental Market Area are calculated by the Rent Officer Services for England, Scotland and Wales.   Rent Officers collect evidence of achieved rents in each area and use this to calculate the 30th percentile from a ‘list of rents’ for each property size.   This is then used for setting the rates annually in accordance with current Government policy for uprating Local Housing Allowance.   From April 2016, Local Housing Allowance rates will be frozen for 4 years. This means that rates will either remain at the April 2015 level or be set at the 30th percentile from the ‘list of rents’, whichever is the lower.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he intends to answer the letter dated 22 December 2015 from the Right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs J. Brown.

Justin Tomlinson: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mr Iain Duncan Smith replied to the Rt. Hon. Member on 2 February 2016.

Attendance Allowance: Rural Areas

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of abolition of attendance allowance on people living in rural communities.

Justin Tomlinson: Later this year, the Government will consult on giving more responsibility to support older people with care needs to Local Authorities in England and to Wales, including people who, under the current system, would be supported through Attendance Allowance. Work is progressing across government towards this consultation; as part of this process the Government will engage with a wide variety of stakeholders, including claimants and their representatives, to understand the implications of change across a number of issues.

Universal Credit: Transitional Arrangements

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there will be transitional protection for current claimants of the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance who will be naturally migrated onto universal credit.

Priti Patel: The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014 make provision for the treatment of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants when they naturally migrate to UC. Where this occurs claimants who are in receipt of the Work Related-Activity Component in ESA will have the Limited Capability for Work element in UC applied to their UC award from the start of their first UC assessment period and those who are in receipt of the Support Component in ESA will have the Limited Capability for Work and Work-related activity element in UC applied to their UC award from the start of their first UC assessment period.

Universal Credit: Children

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of children in each age group that will be in households in receipt of universal credit once it is fully introduced.

Priti Patel: The number of children in each age group estimated to be in households in receipt of Universal Credit, once fully rolled-out, is:  Age of Child Number of Children in Households not receiving UC Number of Children in Households receiving UC 0-2 1,300,000 1,430,000 3-5 1,090,000 1,300,000 6-8 1,020,000 1,170,000 9-11 960,000 1,050,000 12-14 1,120,000 1,000,000 15-18 1,310,000 1,030,000  The proportion of children in each age group estimated to be in households in receipt of Universal Credit, once fully rolled-out, is:  Age of Child Proportion of Children in Households not receiving UC Proportion of Children in Households receiving UC 0-2 48% 52% 3-5 46% 54% 6-8 47% 53% 9-11 48% 52% 12-14 53% 47% 15-18 56% 44%  These estimates have been made using the Department’s Policy Simulation Model, which is based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS)   The actual number of children in households receiving Universal Credit once fully rolled-out is dependent on a range of factors including demographic changes and the economic conditions at that time, and therefore these estimates are sensitive to changes in modelling and economic assumptions.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of current claimants of the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance who will be naturally migrated onto universal credit in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.

Priti Patel: We do not issue forecasts of these volumes. The number of claimants of the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance who will be naturally migrated onto universal credit will vary according to a number of factors, such as the economic climate and developments in Government policy.

Pensions

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure that pension obligations on local authority funded personal budget or direct payment users are met.

Justin Tomlinson: The Care Act 2014 states that local authorities should consider ‘normal employment costs’ including the cost of employer pension contributions when deciding on the amount of direct payments. The Minister for Pensions recently wrote to the Chief Executives of all Local Authorities to raise awareness of this issue and the Pensions Regulator has engaged with organisations across the care sector. The Government acknowledges the potential challenges for some people who employ personal care assistants and has worked with the Pensions Regulator to adapt and improve the process and support available. For example, the Pensions Regulator’s online Step by Step guide and other communications have been adapted and tailored for people who employ personal care assistants. The Pensions Regulator has worked with local authorities and over 200 organisations that support people employing personal care assistants, to ensure they are properly informed and can access help with the process. The Government believes that personal care assistants, whether employed by a local authority or an agency or directly employed by the person they care for, deserve the opportunity to save for their retirement in the same way as other workers. This includes personal care assistants who are funded through local authority personal budgets and direct payments.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance in the work related activity group moved off benefits in each quarter since 2010.

Priti Patel: The information requested regarding Employment and Support Allowance caseload and off-flows is published and available at:http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html   Guidance on how to extract the information can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance   Proportions can be calculated using the caseload figures with the number of off-flows.

Industrial Health and Safety: Death

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths at work.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government is committed to preventing loss of life in the workplace. Great Britain is one of the safest places to work, having one of the lowest rates of fatal injuries to workers in leading industrial nations. In order to maintain and build on GB’s world class health and safety record, HSE launched a new strategy for the health and safety system called ‘Helping Great Britain Work Well’ last month. It will help protect lives, livelihoods and help Great Britain to become more prosperous.

Industrial Health and Safety: Inspections

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many health and safety inspections of workplaces in the UK took place in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Justin Tomlinson: The Health and Safety Executive undertook 22,240 targeted inspections in 2012/13, and 23, 470 in 2013/14.

Industrial Health and Safety: Death

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths at work related to (a) respiratory diseases and (b) mesothelioma.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government’s policy on reducing the number of deaths at work related to respiratory diseases, including mesothelioma, is well established. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for occupational health and safety legislation which aims to prevent exposure to harmful substances that can cause these diseases. HSE focuses its activities on areas where there are high numbers of workers who are exposed and/or where there is evidence of a high incidence rate of disease. It does this through a range of approaches and interventions, specifically: Securing effective risk management and control through a variety of interventions with businesses including licensing, inspections, investigations of incidents and concerns raised by workers and others;Leading and engaging those who undertake or influence health and safety; andEnsuring that the regulatory framework remains effective.

Universal Credit

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how  many claimants of universal credit will see a reduction in their universal credit award as a result of changes to the work allowance due to take effect in April 2016.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available. The number of people in work and on benefits is driven by a range of factors. We will be contacting claimants who are working and reporting earnings, however not all these claimants will experience a reduction in their Universal Credit award.

Universal Credit: Flexible Support Fund

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to use the flexible support fund to ensure that no current claimants of universal credit are made worse off as a result of changes to the work allowance.

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued to work coaches on the use of the flexible support fund to ensure current claimants of universal credit are not made worse off as a result of changes to the work allowance.

Priti Patel: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11/3/2016 to UIN30180.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to housing benefit eligibility in respect of under-occupancy in the social rented sector on low-income families.

Justin Tomlinson: This measure puts social sector tenants on a par with their counterparts in the private rented sector who receive Housing Benefit based on household need rather than the full rental costs. Affected claimants can mitigate the impact by entering work, increasing their working hours or downsizing to a smaller property.

Unemployment

Mr Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on reducing the number of workless households.

Priti Patel: Since 2010 the number of workless households has fallen by over 680,000 to its lowest level since records began.

Children: Poverty

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of recent changes to benefits on levels of child poverty.

Priti Patel: The intended impact of the tax and benefit reforms introduced in the Summer Budget and Autumn Statement is to incentivise work, ensure work always pays, and to allow people to keep more of what they earn. The Government is committed to working to eliminate child poverty and improving life chances for children. Our new Life Chances measures will drive continued action on work and education, which will make the biggest difference to disadvantaged children, now and in the future.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Electricity Generation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that environmental permitting rules for back-up electricity generating plants are up to date and continue to reflect requirements of (a) environmental legislation and (b) the electricity system operator.

Rory Stewart: Electricity generating plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 20MW are already subject to environmental permitting rules. We will consult later this year on options to reduce pollution from smaller plants, including extending environmental legislation to set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from backup electricity generating plants such as diesel engines, with a view to having legislation in force no later than January 2019 and possibly sooner. These limits would be likely to apply to generators or groups of generators with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 1 MW and less than 50 MW irrespective of their number of hours of operation during any given year. Defra will work with the Department of Energy and Climate Change to ensure that impacts of environmental legislation on electricity supply are suitably managed.

Slaughterhouses: Animal Welfare

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single Department Plan: 2015 to 2020, published on 19 February 2016, what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on reforms to ensure that animals are only sent to slaughterhouses that meet high welfare standards.

George Eustice: I have taken the opportunity to raise the importance of this issue to the UK with my EU counterparts at Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussions on the future direction of EU animal welfare policy last May and in February of this year. The UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer also did so at the EU CVOs meeting in September last year. We are planning to have a substantive discussion of possible options for delivering this commitment with EU CVOs before the summer. In the meantime, the Commission is continuing to arrange workshops and training sessions to share good welfare practice on the slaughter of animals with a range of third countries in Europe, Asia, Central and South America; to which we and other Member States contribute veterinary and technical expertise.

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published on 19 February 2016, what steps she is taking to champion the use of the Groceries Code Adjudicator; and if she will support an extension of the Adjudicator's remit.

George Eustice: The Government fully supports the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA). As Defra’s Single Departmental Plan makes clear, we will champion the GCA to ensure that the ten largest retailers covered by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (the Code) continue to meet their legal obligations. We are also working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills who will shortly be commencing a review of the GCA. As part of that we are exploring how the review can take account of the recent calls for the GCA’s remit to be extended. Any decision on whether to extend the GCA’s remit would need to be based on sound evidence.

Climate Change

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single Departmental Plan: 2015 to 2020, published on 19 February 2016, what her climate change adaptation objectives are for 2015-2020.

Rory Stewart: We are implementing the UK’s first National Adaptation Programme report (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209866/pb13942-nap-20130701.pdf) which sets out our objectives on preparing for and addressing the impacts of climate change. As required by the Climate Change Act 2008, we expect to produce a further National Adaptation Programme report around 2018 which will update our objectives for adaptation. It will be informed by the findings of the second UK Climate Change Risk Assessment which we will publish in 2017 and the advice and recommendations of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change.

Business: Environmental Impact Assessment

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's Single Departmental Plan: 2015 to 2020, published on 19 February 2016, whether the report on progress in reducing regulatory burdens to business will include an assessment of the environmental impact.

George Eustice: The report will focus on progress in reducing by £470m, the annual cost of complying with Defra regulations by 2020. This will be achieved through simpler, more efficient and innovative ways of regulating, not by changing policy outcomes.

Department for Communities and Local Government

European Regional Development Fund

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of exit from the EU on his Department's work on the European Regional Development Fund.

James Wharton: Holding answer received on 25 February 2016



No.

Communities and Local Government: UK Membership of EU

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

Brandon Lewis: At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Housing: Morecambe and Lunesdale

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has been notified of any funding applications from Lancaster City Council for the West End of Morecambe; and what information his Department holds on progress being made on (a) the Chatsworth Gardens project and (b) any other new housing projects in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.

Brandon Lewis: The Chatsworth Gardens project, known as West End One, is a flagship private rent project involving refurbishing and remodelling 27 empty properties to create 51 (1, 2, 3, & 4-bed) homes. Work on site commenced in early 2015 and, to date, ten 4-bedroom houses have been completed. The project is supported by £8.3 million of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency and £1.9 million of empty homes funding.The next release of new homes is expected later this month, with completion of all units by Autumn 2016. West End Two, the adjacent site is to follow on directly creating a further 50 homes for private rent.The Department does not collect data on all housing developments across the country, but 13 developments, either completed since 2014 or are currently on site, across the Lancaster City Council area have received Social Housing Grant via the Homes and Communities Agency, totalling £8.0 million and are providing a total of 231 new affordable homes.

Non-domestic Rates

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the additional revenue councils will receive from local business rates as a result of devolution deals.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has announced that, by the end of the Parliament, we will give all local councils new responsibilities in return for keeping 100% of locally raised business rates. In advance of 100% retention, devolution deals are already giving some areas the ability to keep 100% of the actual growth in business rates they achieve above a pre-determined baseline. This will give them an added incentive to grow their local economies and increase their income from business rates.

Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of small business rate relief in each of the last three years.

Mr Marcus Jones: The net cost to the public purse of Small Business Rate Relief is given in the table below. It is the total relief provided, less the yield from the large business supplement.£ million2014-152015-162016-17Relief Provided1,0601,0701,130Yield from Supplement540630650Net Cost520440480Source: National Non-Domestic Rates. 2015-16 and 2016-17 are forecasts.

Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much small businesses with a rateable value of less than £30,000 paid in business rates in (a) 2012, (b) 2013, (c) 2014 and (d) 2015.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department does not hold this information.

Floods: Property Development

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are safeguards against flooding for the construction of new houses in potential flood-risk areas.

Brandon Lewis: There are strict tests in the National Planning Policy Framework to protect people and property from flooding which all local planning authorities are expected to follow, underpinned by our planning practice guidance. The Framework is clear that local planning authorities should avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk. Where development is necessary in a flood risk area, it must be demonstrated that it will be safe, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and be appropriately flood resilient and resistant. Mitigation measures, such as land raising, raised building thresholds and improved flood management infrastructure, to make development acceptable in flood risk areas can be made a requirement of any planning consent.We are clear that where the strict tests on flood risk set out in national planning policy are not met, new development should not be allowed.

Floods

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to provide more information to people potentially affected by floods to enable them to access grant schemes from local authorities.

James Wharton: Our immediate priority remains doing everything we can to help local communities repair and recover from floods. This means ensuring all those affected can benefit from the £200 million grant schemes offered by the Government and know that they can do so.We have provided information on the Gov.uk website and have worked with local authorities to ensure their websites are up to date. We have also developed a simple fact sheet for individual property owners explaining the Property Level Resilience grant scheme and how to apply for it.We are in regular contact with local areas and are continuing to look at ways to help support their residents and businesses take full advantage of the grants available.

Regional Planning and Development: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25439, on regional planning and development in Greater Manchester, when the consultation on the call for sites closed.

Brandon Lewis: We understand that no end date has been published and that the call for sites for the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is still open. Further details can be found at: https://www.greatermanchesterca.gov.uk.

Combined Authorities: Accountability

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, whether the scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 apply to combined authorities.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, what his policy is on the appointment of hon. Members from the constituent districts to the scrutiny, overview and audit panels of combined authorities.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, if he will introduce call-in procedures for individual constituent district councils to scrutinise the decisions of combined authorities.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the letter to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish from the Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse of 18 February 2016, on accountability of combined authorities, if he will make provision for public involvement in the key decision process within the scrutiny arrangements for combined authorities.

James Wharton: The scrutiny requirements for combined authorities are set out in Schedule 5A to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as inserted by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, which provide that overview and scrutiny committees of combined authorities have powers to call in decisions and to involve other persons in their work. Schedule 5A also provides for secondary legislation which must ensure that the majority of members of an overview and scrutiny committee will be members of the combined authority’s constituent councils and that at least one member of an audit committee is an independent person. The scrutiny requirements of the Local Government Act 2000 do not apply to combined authorities.

Communities and Local Government: Grants

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which charities have received grant funding from his Department since the introduction of the anti-lobbying clause.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG have provided grant funding to 45 bodies under the Charities Act during the financial year 2015/2016. The anti-lobbying clause is a standard clause in all of the Department's grant funding agreements and therefore applies to all 45 recipients.

Mayors: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the likely salary of the elected mayor for the West Midlands Combined Authority; and if he will make a statement.

James Wharton: The Department holds no such information. It is envisaged that decisions on the remuneration of Combined Authority mayors will be a matter to be decided by the Combined Authority on the basis of recommendations of an independent body.

Non-domestic Rates: Redcar and Cleveland

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many businesses in Redcar and Cleveland have taken part in the retail relief scheme in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 to date.

Mr Marcus Jones: Information on business rates and reliefs collected by each local authority are published in the ‘National non-domestic rates collected by councils in England’ statistical series, which are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils

Planning Permission

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to speed up planning enforcement to reduce damage in heritage centres.

Brandon Lewis: We have given local planning authorities a wide range of strong enforcement powers to enable them to tackle unauthorised development or works to listed buildings, including the ability to apply for planning injunctions to prevent actual or apprehended breaches. We consider these powers remain appropriate and have no plans to amend them at this time.

Communities and Local Government: Security Guards

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much security guards in his Department are paid.

Brandon Lewis: The rate of pay for security guards working in buildings managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government is between £7.20 and £10.34 per hour depending on location, shift pattern, skillset and duration of tenure. Guards in 2 Marsham Street are employed by the Home Office's service provider Bouygues.

HM Treasury

Child Benefit: Fraud

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many foreign nationals living in the UK have been prosecuted for a fraudulent child benefit claim for a child living in the EU.

Damian Hinds: The Government has in place a robust system for verifying that those EEA nationals claiming Child Benefit are entitled to do so under the current rules and there is a wide range of checks carried out on new and existing claims to confirm their validity.Cases of Child Benefit fraud can be investigated by DWP and the Single Fraud Investigation Service (a partnership between DWP Fraud Investigation Service and HMRC), as part of a wider investigation of welfare benefit fraud.HMRC therefore does not hold figures on the number of Child Benefit prosecutions of foreign nationals.

European Union: Fines

Anne Marie Morris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government has paid in fines to the EU since 2010.

Mr David Gauke: The United Kingdom has never incurred a financial penalty under Article 260 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (or under the former Article 228 (ex Article 171) of the Treaty Establishing the European Community).

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Grahame Morris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the amount currently owed to HM Revenue and Customs in tax credit overpayments and (b) the potential effect of the reduction in the income rise disregard on the amount so owed in each of the next three years.

Damian Hinds: The amount of tax credit debt owed to HMRC as at 31 March 2015, the latest available figure, is published in HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2014-15. The Annual Report and Accounts for 2015-16 are due to be published in June this year. The impact on new debt from the reduction in the disregard is not available.

Financial Services: Advisory Services

Edward Argar: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Financial Conduct Authority plans to report the findings of its consultation on the Financial Advice Market Review.

Harriett Baldwin: The Financial Advice Market Review, a joint review undertaken by HM Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority, will report around Budget 2016.

Tax Avoidance: Self-employed

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to announce the next step in the process to reform the IR35 investigations.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is considering responses to the discussion document published in July on how to improve the effectiveness of the existing intermediaries legislation (IR35). As set out in the discussion document, the Government’s objective is to find a solution that protects the Exchequer and improves fairness in the system without creating disproportionate burdens on businesses.

Treasury: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of his Department's (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

Harriett Baldwin: 100% of HM Treasury Senior Civil Servants and 99.9% core policy civil servants are based in London.

Mutuals' Deferred Shares Act 2015

Gareth Thomas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to consult on the draft Regulations to implement the Mutuals' Deferred Shares Act 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government has been working closely with the mutual insurance industry and the financial regulators to inform the development of regulations to implement the Mutuals’ Deferred Shares Act. The Government expects to publish draft regulations for consultation in due course.

VAT

Stephen Doughty: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value of VAT arrears that had been owed for more than 12 months was recovered by HM Revenue and Customs in (a) Cardiff South and Penarth constituency, (b) Wales and (c) the UK in last 12 months.

Mr David Gauke: HM Revenue Customs does hold this information. However, dealing with the request would exceed the cost limit under section 12(1) FOIA.

Public Sector: Guaranteed Minimum Pensions

Angela Rayner: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury's press release of 1 March 2016, on Government one step closer to introducing new State Pension this year, whether an equality impact assessment was carried out before this decision was taken to price protect the Guaranteed Minimum Pension of public sector workers.

Greg Hands: The announcement is a continuation of current government policy, which maintains equality in pension payments for all affected individuals in public services. When the Government consults on the long term solution, it will of course do a full equality impact assessment, should it be necessary.

State Retirement Pensions

Angela Rayner: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Treasury's press release of 1 March 2016, on Government one step closer to introducing new State Pension this year, if he will hold a public consultation on his Department's proposals for pension provision to those people who will reach state pension age after December 2018.

Greg Hands: The Government expects to hold a public consultation later this year.

Council Tax: Valuation

Simon Danczuk: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average time taken is by the Valuation Office Agency to assess new properties to give them a council tax band; and how many such cases have taken longer than three months in the last three years.

Mr David Gauke: Most recent information from operational systems shows that between 01 March 2013 and 29 February 2016, the Valuation Office Agency took an average (mean) of 17.5 working days to update the Council Tax Valuation Lists for England and Wales with entries for new properties. Out of these, 23,599 cases (representing 5% of the total) took longer than 3 months (defined as 60 working days). Over 99% of all cases are resolved within the first 4 months.

Employee Ownership

Chris Leslie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have taken up employee shareholder status tax relief in the most recent financial year for which figures are available; and what the effect of that relief was on revenue to the Exchequer in that year.

Mr David Gauke: No details of the number of employees receiving and companies offering Employee Shareholder Status shares are currently available. Similarly, no details of the effect of the tax relief are available.

Treasury: Security Guards

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much security guards in his Department are paid.

Harriett Baldwin: The security service at HM Treasury is provided by through a service contract, let by the PFI contract landlord for 1 Horse Guards Road (Exchequer Partnership). HM Treasury does not directly employ security guards. However, the contracted security guards that work within 1 Horse Guards Road are paid £10.80 per hour.

Betting: Taxation

Chris Leslie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what revenue accrued to the Exchequer from the financial spread betting gross profits tax in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

Damian Hinds: Total receipts from General Betting Duty, which includes duty paid on spread bets from financial and non-financial institutions is published here:https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Pages/TaxAndDutybulletins.aspx A separate breakdown for revenue accrued from financial spread betting is not available.

Libya: Freezing of Assets

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of the assets of the Muammar Gaddafi administration frozen in the UK.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 17 September 2015 to the Hon Member for North Down (Ref: 9796). In addition I would like to point out that EU Regulation 204/2011, which imposed an asset freeze against listed individuals and entities in view of the situation in Libya and to which I referred in my previous response, has since been repealed and replaced by Council Regulation (EU) 2016/44 with effect from 20 January 2016.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he intends to answer the letter dated 12 January 2016 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Sara Lyons, transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Harriett Baldwin: HMRC officials are looking into this case and the Right hon. Member will receive a reply in due course.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Electricity

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the effect on costs to the electricity system of limitations of the number of operating hours permitted for back-up electricity generation plants.

Andrea Leadsom: Defra will consult later this year on options which will include legislation that would set binding emission limit values on relevant air pollutants from diesel engines. As part of this process Defra will assess the impacts of any policy options it proposes to take forward, and will work with DECC to understand any implications this may have for the electricity system.

Nuclear Reactors

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Annex on a Comprehensive Franco-British Partnership on Civil Nuclear Energy, Franco-British Summit, on 3 March 2016, if she will publish the new key cooperation actions on Generation IV reactors which have been identified.

Andrea Leadsom: Further to an agreement at the 2014 UK - France Summit, the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have been progressing work to develop a joint roadmap for collaboration, to support the Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration (ASTRID) project. This work was noted in the text of the 2016 UK – France summit conclusions. Development of this agreement and the progression of actions under the associated roadmap are a commercial matter between NNL and CEA, the details of which are subject to commercial confidentiality.

Renewable Energy

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to increase the UK's energy storage capacity for excess energy from renewables; and what financial support she is making available to increase the capacity of pumped hydro systems.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is investigating the potential barriers to deployment of energy storage and possible mitigating actions, focussing in the first instance on removing regulatory barriers but also considering whether more needs to be done to stimulate investment in energy storage. DECC plans to issue a call for evidence in spring 2016 on this area. DECC has provided more than £18m of innovation support since 2012 to develop and demonstrate a range of energy storage technologies. This support has included a grant to a UK pumped hydro storage company to analyse the potential for wider deployment of new pumped hydro storage facilities in novel sites around Great Britain – for example, in disused quarries or other brownfield sites or using drinking water reservoirs.

Heating: Older People

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the availability of grants which are accessible to elderly people for the replacement of storage heaters.

Andrea Leadsom: Grants may be available locally. The Government supports the replacement of heating systems with renewable heating alternatives through the Renewable Heat Incentive, a tariff-based scheme. The Affordable Warmth Obligation, which is part of the Energy Company Obligation, provides heating (e.g. replacement or repair of a boiler or electric storage heater) and insulation measures to consumers living in private tenure properties that receive particular means-tested benefits. This obligation supports low income consumers that are vulnerable to the impact of living in cold homes.

Cabinet Office

Civil Service

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve (a) productivity across the Civil Service and (b) efficient use of office space.

Matthew Hancock: Improving the efficiency and productivity of the public sector is central to the work of the Cabinet Office. By 2014/15 the Government had saved £18.6 billion through efficiency and reform, and tackling fraud, error and uncollected debt (against a 2009/10 baseline).The Government Hubs programme will reduce the government office estate from around 800 buildings to around 200 by 2023 and generate savings of over £2bn over ten years.This is being supported by a smart working revolution to transform how and where civil servants work. In line with what many private sector organisations have achieved, we expect this to increase productivity, reduce costs, improve wellbeing, and contribute to wider objectives such as localism, sustainability, and reducing pressure on the transport system.

Migration: Eastern Europe

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will estimate the number of people from Eastern Europe who have returned to their country of birth from the UK in 2015-16.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Return to Eastern Europe
(PDF Document, 170.31 KB)

Cabinet Office and Treasury: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who is responsible for authorising pay rises of more than one per cent in (a) his Department and (b) HM Treasury; and what procedure is followed when it is proposed to grant a pay rise of more than one per cent to an adviser.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Working Hours

Chris Bryant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the standard office hours are of special advisers.

Matthew Hancock: As set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, full time special advisers are required to work a minimum of 37 hours over a 5 day week, excluding breaks. Copies of the Model Contract are available in the Libraries of the House, and on GOV.UK

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of how many citizens of (a) Ireland, (b) Malta, and (c) Cyprus will be eligible to vote in the EU referendum.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Citizens eligible to Vote
(PDF Document, 108.75 KB)

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: North of England

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to support tourism in the North of England.

David Evennett: This Government recognises the strength and economic potential of the North of England's tourism offer. As set out in the Prime Minister's Five Point Plan, we are committed to encouraging more visitors to explore beyond London. Through the Northern Tourism Growth Fund, £10 million has been invested in projects to drive up international visitors to the North, and the £40 million Discover England fund will shortly be available to destinations all over the country. This Government will also support tourism in the North through the Great Exhibition of the North, the UK City of Culture year in Hull 2017, and the new Factory arts venue in Manchester. Following recent flooding, this Government has also supported tourism to the North of England through the launch of a £1 million campaign to drive domestic visitors to the area.

Pornography: Internet

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to (a) protect children from accessing harmful pornographic material online and (b) ensure age verification is required for access to all sites containing pornographic material online.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government is committed to improving the safety of children online and has a strong track-record of working with the internet industry to drive progress in this area. In its manifesto, this Government committed to requiring age verification for access to all sites containing pornographic material, which we are currently consulting on. The consultation, launched on 16 February, can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/child-safety-online-age-verification-for-pornographyFamily friendly filtering is another important means of protecting children from accessing harmful content, including pornographic material, online. The UK’s four major Internet Service Providers BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media now offer free-of-charge network level filters to their customers. Network level family friendly filters are also in place by default on most mobile phones.Recently, Government asked Ofcom to lead a social media working group as part of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) to develop a practical guide for providers of social media and interactive services. Membership of the group included Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft. The guide contains examples of good practice from leading technology companies, and advice from charities and other online child safety experts. Its purpose is to encourage businesses to think about “safety by design” to help make their platforms safer for children and young people under 18.At the same time, UKCCIS published a guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media. The guide includes practical tips about the use of safety and privacy features on apps and platforms, as well as conversation prompts to help families begin talking about online safety. It also contains pointers to further advice and support.Both sets of guidance can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis

BBC: Pay

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on how the BBC defines talent for the purposes of non-disclosure of salaries and contractual payments.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Remuneration of talent is an issue for the BBC, which publishes information around its talent spend and definitions as part of its Annual Report and Accounts, which can be found here (http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/pdf/2014-15/bbc-annualreport-201415.pdf) .

Arts: Disadvantaged

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to increase participation in the arts by people from low income backgrounds.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience and participate in culture and the arts whatever their background and the Prime Minister acknowledged the importance of this in a speech in January 2016 on life chances. Government is maintaining the same level of funding for Arts Council England throughout the next spending period which will include support for arts programmes in areas where participation is low.Arts Council England funds a number of community arts organisations that look to engage disadvantaged people, such as Cinderford Artspace and Helix Arts which focus on encouraging unemployed adults and employed people on low incomes to participate in the arts. Arts Council England also places responsibility on every funded organisation to make their programme of work more reflective of the communities they serve.

Sports: Children

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to increase access to sporting activities for children in low income households.

David Evennett: The Government’s recently published ‘Sport Strategy’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486622/Sporting_Future_ACCESSIBLE.pdf) sets out plans for all children to benefit from participating in sport - regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. Through the new strategy, for the first time Sport England will invest in sporting provision for children aged five and over - previously the starting age was 14 years old.

Olympic Games 2012

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who is responsible for the future of the London 2012 athletics warm-up track.

David Evennett: Several elements of the 2012 warm-up track have been used in various athletics venues around the country including Gateshead International Stadium, Birmingham Alexander Stadium, Lee Valley Stadium, Allianz Stadium and Swansea Stadium. The E20 Stadium Partnership (a partnership between the London Borough of Newham and London Legacy Development Corporation, which manages the stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) is working with organisations, including the London Marathon Charitable Trust (which has funded the future community track at the stadium), to identify uses for the remainder of the London 2012 warm-up track.

Broadband: Northampton South

David Mackintosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the extent of the rollout of super-fast broadband in the Northampton South constituency.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Based on DCMS modelled estimates and current delivery plans, it is estimated that 99.7% of premises in the Northampton South constituency will have access to superfast broadband by December 2017. Additional funding sources, including Northamptonshire’s share of the £129 million of early gainshare funding that BT will return in response to the high levels of take-up being achieved, will allow coverage to be extended further in Northampton South and the rest of the area covered by the Northamptonshire broadband project. In addition, the Government's intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation will give people the legal right to request a broadband connection, no matter where they live, by the end of this Parliament. Our ambition is that this should be set at 10 Mbps.Current estimates suggest that almost 90% of premises in the Northampton South constituency are subject to commercial rollout, and a further 2,739 premises now have coverage as a result of this Government's superfast broadband programme.

BBC: Royal Charters

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 29543, which areas of the BBC are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act sets out that the BBC is subject to that act, in respect of information held for purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature. The BBC's website sets out how general exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act may apply to Freedom of Information requests to the BBC. You can find it here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/).

BBC: Royal Charters

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which areas of the BBC Charter he will seek to reform in upcoming negotiations with the BBC Trust.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The BBC Charter Review Consultation Paper, published in July 2015, set out the issues for consideration in Charter Review. The Government will set out its proposals in a White Paper in Spring.The Government is taking forward a range of measures to tackle nuisance calls, which will increase consumer protection and choice by strengthening the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) ability to take enforcement action against organisations that break the law. Specific actions include consulting on making it a requirement for direct marketing callers to display calling line identification; strengthening the ICO's direct marketing guidance; and exploring extending the ICO’s powers of compulsory audit to more of the organisations that generate nuisance calls. Baroness Neville-Rolfe's speech on the subject to the Direct Marketing Authority can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/baroness-nevile-rolfe-on-data-protection-and-nuisance-calls

BBC: Royal Charters

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 29543, what steps he plans to take to reform the BBC's exposure to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as part of the Charter Review.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The BBC Charter Review Consultation Paper, published in July 2015, set out the issues for consideration in Charter Review, including Freedom of Information. The Government will set out its proposals in a White Paper in Spring.

Children: Musical Instruments

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2016 to Question 28838, if he will make a comparative assessment of the proportion of children by (a) region and (b) socio-economic group who learn a musical instrument outside school.

Mr Edward Vaizey: As the Prime Minister stated in his Life Chances speech in January, culture should never be a privilege; it is a birth right that belongs to us all. The Government's Life Chances Strategy will address cultural disenfranchisement directly - ensuring there is real engagement by arts organisations with those who might believe that culture is not for them, meaning that many more children can have the doors opened to their wonderful cultural inheritance.The Government has already invested £171 million between 2012-15 in 123 Music Education Hubs to ensure that children aged 5-18 have the opportunity to sing or learn a musical instrument, and a further £75 million of funding was made available for 2015/16. A new, fairer funding system ensures hubs can target money towards pupils who need it most. We have also introduced the In Harmony programme which inspires and transforms the lives of children through community-based orchestral music-making in areas of exceptional deprivation. Both of these programmes offer opportunities for children and young people in the local area to attend after school sessions to learn music. In addition, we have helped create 14 pilot music rehearsal spaces for young people across urban and rural areas of England experiencing multiple deprivation.Analysis from the most recent Taking Part Survey shows that in 2014/15, 16.7% of respondents aged 5 -10 years from the upper socio-economic group took part in music lessons outside school compared with 6.6% of those from a lower socio-economic group. Among children aged 11-15, 41.0% from the upper socio-economic group and 31.2% from the lower socio-economic group, have taken part in at least one musical activity outside of school in the last year. Data for regional comparisons of participation are not held by the Department in a reliable format due to small sample sizes.

Public Libraries

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with local authorities on changes in the level of availability of library services providing access to digital connectivity for those who do not have access to broadband at home.

Mr Edward Vaizey: My Department, together with the Local Government Association, has set up a Leadership for Libraries Taskforce to help public libraries in England build on good practice and add value for the communities they serve. Thanks to Government funding, 99% of public libraries in England will provide free access to Wi-Fi from May 2016.DCMS has also engaged national Digital Engagement partnerships to help users get online; BT and Barclays have worked together to provide free Wi-Fi in 100 libraries and community centres in deprived areas across England; and Lloyds Banking Group and Halifax Community Bank have piloted a scheme to match local branch staff with libraries to deliver basic digital skills training to adults in the UK.

Department of Health

Stem Cells

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of stem cell donors received a transplant within (a) seven and (b) 15 days of request in each year since 2003-04.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold this information.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland who have accessed abortion services commissioned by a clinical commissioning group by registering on a temporary or permanent basis with a general practitioner in England.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold this information.

Asthma: South West

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to create a specialist centre for severe asthma in the South West of England.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many specialist centres for severe asthma there are in England.

Jane Ellison: Services for people with severe asthma are commissioned by NHS England in line with a national specification to ensure patient numbers are sufficient to support safe services. NHS England has no plans to change the way it commissions these services in south west England. Nationally, there are 27 trusts that have identified themselves as providing severe asthma services. NHS England is revising the national service specification to assist local teams in verifying and redefining the local service model to confirm the severe asthma services within each region.

Out-patients: Children

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many outpatient (a) medical ophthalmology, (b) optometry and (c) orthotics appointments for children under 19 years of age were (i) cancelled and (ii) missed because the patient did not attend in 2014-15; and what the median waiting time for an (A) outpatient ophthalmology (B) medical ophthalmology (C) outpatient optometry, and (D) outpatient orthoptics appointment was in 2014-15.

Alistair Burt: The information is shown in the following table. Information on outpatient ophthalmology, optometry, orthotics and orthoptics appointments for patients under 19 years of age in 2014-15  Outpatient appointments1 for patients under 19 years of ageAll patientsTreatment specialtyCancelled (by hospital or by patient)Patient did not attendMedian wait time (days)2Ophthamology398,77493,09935Optometry1,8841,02833Orthotics6,5195,16240Orthoptics70,32754,06235Sources:Hospital episode statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre Notes:These are not counts of people as the same person may have had more than one appointment within the same time period.Waiting time is defined as the time in days between the date the referral request was received and the date of the first appointment, whether it was attended or not.Within the Hospital Episode Statistics database it is not possible to distinguish between "ophthamology" and "medical ophthamology" treatment specialties.

Mental Health Services: Advocacy

Ben Howlett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to increase the number of advocacy services available to mentally ill people before they are sectioned.

Alistair Burt: When a person is detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, (“the Act”) they are legally entitled to an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) who understands the Act and can support the detained patient. The provision of IMHA services is the responsibility of local authorities. For other mental health patients who need help and support in expressing their views, more general advocacy services, as well as family and friends, can provide support. The Department is also currently exploring providing additional guidance to mental health professionals promoting advocacy services to psychiatric patients that they believe would benefit from such support.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of Type 2 diabetics manage their condition with (a) insulin injections and (b) insulin tablets.

Jane Ellison: Information is not collected centrally on the number of people prescribed a medicine or the medical condition being treated.

Primary Health Care: Finance

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the £1 billion primary care infrastructure fund has been (a) committed to future projects and (b) spent by GP practices.

Alistair Burt: The Primary Care Transformation Fund is a multi-year programme and the first tranche of local estates and technology projects to improve general practitioner premises and supporting infrastructure across the country are already underway. Clinical commissioning groups have commissioned the development of Strategic Estates Plans that include the individual estates and technology projects for years two to four, which are due for submission later in the spring. These will then be assessed during the summer and the allocations required to support them developed in the autumn – which will form part of the commitments to future projects. Expenditure on 2015/16 projects will be finalised with the audit of NHS England’s national accounts, which is expected to complete in July.

Primary Health Care: Finance

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to announce the net allocations from the primary care transformation fund.

Alistair Burt: The Primary Care Transformation Fund is a multi-year programme and the first tranche of local estates and technology projects to improve general practitioner premises and supporting infrastructure across the country are already underway. Expenditure on 2015/16 projects will be finalised with the audit of NHS England’s national accounts, which is expected to complete in July. Clinical commissioning groups have commissioned the development of Strategic Estates Plans that include the individual estates and technology projects for years two to four, which are due for submission later in the spring. These will then be assessed during the summer and the allocations required to support them developed later this year.

Cancer: Nurses

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cancer clinical nurse specialists were working in the NHS in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: The number of cancer clinical nurse specialists working in the National Health Service is not collected centrally. It is for local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.

Department of Health: Staff

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of his Department's (a) Senior Civil Servants and (b) core policy civil servants are based in London.

Jane Ellison: 75% of Senior Civil Servants in the Department are based in London. Some Departmental team responsibilities are strictly policy matters and others may include, or exclusively involve, operational or corporate business activities. The Department does not impose an artificial distinction between ‘policy’ teams and operational or business teams as many teams will be active in both aspects of Government to varying degrees. The titles and topics covered by all the teams making up the Department can be found in the most recent Departmental organograms / structure charts at: http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?dept=dh

NHS: Working Hours

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that seven day NHS provision will be accessible in all parts of the country.

Ben Gummer: The Government has committed that by 2020 patients with urgent and emergency care hospital needs will have access to the same high quality hospital care at the weekend as they do during the week. This means that these patients will have access to the same level of consultant review, diagnostic tests and treatments seven days a week. Hospitals will deliver this seven day provision for 25% of the population by March 2017, 50% by March 2018 and the rest of England by 2020. The Government has also committed that by 2020 everyone will be able to access routine general practitioner appointments at evenings and weekends. NHS 111 will give patients easy, 24/7 access to integrated urgent care services, offering clinical assessment, advice and treatment. A range of professionals will be directly available to speak to callers who need it.

Junior Doctors: Pay

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27828, what the average change in the level of pay will be for those junior doctors not expected to experience a rise in earnings as a result of pay protection.

Ben Gummer: The average change in the level of pay for those junior doctors currently in Foundation programme of Specialty/Core Training Levels 1 and 2 receiving pay protection will be zero compared with their earnings on 31 October 2015. The exception to this will be the 1% of junior doctors receiving a band 3 payment for working in breach of the current contract. Junior doctors currently in Specialty Training level 3 and above will be paid according to the current contract terms until the end of transition.

Care Homes

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Government plans to make funding available to councils for care homes in addition to the two per cent council tax precept to cover costs arising from the increase in the national minimum wage.

Alistair Burt: Local authorities are responsible for commissioning adult social care services. Fee levels are agreed by local authorities and social care providers, reflecting local conditions. In setting fee levels, local authorities are obliged to consider the sustainability of their local social care market.At the Spending Review, the Government made up to £3.5 billion extra available by 2019/20 to local authorities for adult social care through the social care precept and Better Care Fund. This will help give councils more flexibility to meet local priorities as they see fit.

Prescription Drugs

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the difference is between NICE's clinical guidelines and its positive guidance; and what steps his Department is taking to make healthcare commissioners aware of when they may prescribe outside guidelines.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether clinical commissioning groups are permitted to prescribe medications which NICE does not recommend as cost effective.

George Freeman: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guidelines represent best practice, based on the available evidence, and are developed through wide consultation. They relate to a whole pathway of care and are not subject to the same legal funding requirement as NICE’s technology appraisals. NICE’s technology appraisal guidance makes recommendations on whether selected drugs and treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of National Health Service resources. Commissioners are legally required to fund drugs and treatments recommended in NICE’s technology appraisal guidance within three months of its final guidance being issued. In the absence of positive guidance from NICE, it is for commissioners to make decisions on whether to fund this treatment based on an assessment of the available evidence. Prescribing decisions are made by clinicians, based on their patients’ individual clinical circumstances.

Maternity Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparative information his Department holds on the length of time women stay in health facilities after giving birth in the UK and other developed countries; and if he will commission a review into the process of discharging women from maternity wards.

Ben Gummer: We do not hold the comparative data requested. The length of stay in a maternity unit following delivery of a baby is a matter of clinical judgement of the professionals involved in the mother’s care. In line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on Routine postnatal care of women and their babies, this decision should be reached following discussion with the mother and take into account the health and well-being of the woman and her baby and the level of support available to her following discharge.  The Care Quality Commission 2015 survey of women’s experience of maternity care found that the length of time spent in hospital after giving birth for the majority of women in 2015 is 36% staying for one to two days after the delivery. 72% of women said the length of their hospital stay was ‘about right’. Full details of the survey can be found here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/maternity-services-survey-2015  We have no plans to commission a review of discharge procedures.

Nabiximols

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2016 to Question 29649, how patients whose clinical commissioning group has decided not to fund the provision of Sativex can access that medication.

George Freeman: Where a treatment is not routinely funded by a clinical commissioning group (CCG), the CCG is required to have systems in place to consider individual funding requests from clinicians who believe their patient would benefit from that treatment due to their clinical exceptionality. Patients also have the choice of being treated privately.

Care Quality Commission

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resources allocated by the Government to the Care Quality Commission to carry out its inspection role; and what other sources of funding are available to that body.

Ben Gummer: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is funded from two sources: fee income, levied on the health and social care providers that it regulates; and Grant In Aid funding, allocated centrally, from the Department. As part of the annual business planning process, the Department and the CQC negotiate and agree the appropriate level of central Grant in Aid funding required by the CQC for the forthcoming reporting year. In the case of funding negotiations for 2016-17, discussions between the Department and the CQC and all of the Department’s arm’s length bodies (ALBs), will be taking into account the Department’s Spending Review settlement. Negotiations between the Department and the CQC are undertaken in the context of Government policy for all fee-setting regulators - that the full costs of their chargeable regulatory activities must be recovered through fees from providers. Where a fee is less than full cost, stakeholders including HM Treasury and the Department agree with ALBs a plan to comply with the requirements of Managing Public Money within a reasonable period. The CQC has been working and continues to work towards achieving Full Cost Recovery at the earliest opportunity. As the level of fee income received by the CQC increases, then the level of Grant in Aid funding from the Department will reduce.

Department of Health: Sick Leave

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department took sick leave for reasons relating to stress in each of the last five years; and what proportion of total sick leave such sick leave was in each such year.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not record working days lost that can be specifically attributed to stress-related conditions. We do record the number of working days lost covered by the broader absence reason “Mental Health” which includes depression, anxiety and stress related problems. Information is recorded for sickness absence as "days lost" not in terms of numbers of individual staff (headcount) on sickness absence. The table below presents the relevant information we do hold for the calendar years requested.  YearDays lost due to mental health absence (total days lost 12 month period)Proportion of staff who had sick leave (all sickness)Mental health absences as a proportion of total Absence20111457.944%15%20121932.842%22%20131510.940%17%20142153.242%24%20152193.941%28%